


Wait For It

by CleoClipper



Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Fluff and Smut, F/M, Gen, Het and Slash, Hybrids, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Sexual Content, Supernatural Elements, Vampires, Werewolf Mates, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-25
Updated: 2014-04-20
Packaged: 2018-01-13 17:43:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 29
Words: 118,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1235398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CleoClipper/pseuds/CleoClipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU: As far as Jeremy's concerned, he's Tyler's mate and nobody is gonna change that, especially Klaus and his scheming ways. He better watch his back, because Tyler could come home at any minute.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries or any characters. I merely use them for entertainment :)
> 
> This is a pre-written story that I will try to update once or twice a week. Please enjoy!

Caroline snarled at Klaus as she stood in between him and the object of his affections. “For the last time Klaus, he’s not interested so fuck off!”

Klaus laughed. She was a feisty one. Definitely reminded him of Rebekah.

“No need for hostility love, I just want to speak to Mr. Gilbert and last I checked, it was a free country,” he grinned mischievously at the low growl she let out. He loved to get under her skin.

“It’s alright Caroline, I can handle him,” Jeremy eyed Klaus wearily. He was the last person he wanted to deal with at the moment. He was tired, hungry and he just wanted to forget about vampires and everything supernatural and sleep for a month. Or at least until Tyler came back from wherever the hell he was.

Caroline shot Jeremy an incredulous look, “Elena is going to _kill_ me if I leave you alone with him! And he's completely _obsessed_ with you Jeremy! Why would you even want to be alone with him?"

“He'll make it happen one way or another Caroline. I might as well get it over with now."

Klaus rolled his eyes at them. This routine they went through every day was starting to get dry. Every day, Jeremy would be escorted by Stefan or Elena or that insufferable witch for his ‘protection’ and they would become so self-righteous and offended whenever he approached Jeremy and asked to speak with him alone, as if he would murder the boy in front of the school. These scenarios were always predictable and he wondered when they would change them up.

“If it makes you feel any better, I won’t be killing him anytime soon. That wouldn’t do for my intentions,” he looked at his fingers as he spoke.

“Your intentions with him? More like your obsession with him,” Caroline scoffed.

“Obsession is such an ugly word, Caroline. I prefer the term infatuation.”

“And I would prefer if you just disappeared!”

“We all can’t get what we want now can we love?”

“Can we just get this over with?” Jeremy interrupted, exasperated. He bypassed the gaping Caroline and glared at Klaus, “You said you wanted to talk, so let’s go.”

He turned to lead the way. Klaus winked at Caroline before turning on his heel and following him to the huge tree in front of Mystic Falls High School. Jeremy stopped and turned to face his admirer.

“What do you want now Klaus?”

Klaus’ grin turned into a soft smile, “You know what I want love, and I’m more than prepared to wait for the answer I want.”

“And I’ve told you already, my answer is _no_ ,” Jeremy snapped.

“You make things so much harder than they need to be. I have all of eternity to wait for you and I will wait. Sooner or later, you’ll be mine.”

“My answer isn’t going to change. You’ll get bored and find someone else to harass. My answer is and will always be no. Tyler is my mate and that isn’t changing. Ever,” Jeremy said with finality and a level glare. Klaus lost his amused expression and one of annoyance quickly replaced it.

“Tyler abandoned you! He ran off like a coward because he knows that I would win in a battle for your affections. Even if you are his mate, I will always come first. You deserve someone who will always put _you_ first, love.”

“He left to protect me from himself. He didn’t want _you_ to make him hurt me again,” Jeremy muttered bitterly. “One day he’ll break free of your hold on him Klaus. You can’t control him forever.”

“Oh I think I could. He owes me for saving him from that awful curse,” Klaus said with a laugh. “If he’s looking for a way to ‘break free’ as you put it he’s wasting his ti—well hello, Stefan, Damon, I was wondering when Blondie would call you.”

Klaus drawled to the two vampires that were now blocking Jeremy from his view. Elena had also rushed over to her brother stepping subtly in front of him as well.

“Why are you still here Klaus? I thought we told you that you had no business with Jeremy?” Stefan’s voice was sharp enough to cut steel. His fists were clenching and unclenching by his side wanting nothing more than one good excuse to rip the hybrid apart for screwing with their lives.

“And as I've told _you_ Stefan, my business with Jeremy is none of yours, so back off,” he countered.

“How desperate are you that we have to go through this same routine every day?”

“You should give yourself at least two days in between each rejection, make it a little less humiliating,” Damon spat sardonically. Klaus sneered at him. Out of all the vampires he had to encounter in this town, he _loathed_ dealing with Damon.

“This coming from the vampire that’s in love with his brother’s girlfriend even _after_ she repeatedly chose him over you. You, the definition of pathetic, have no right to judge me.”

Damon’s eyebrow twitched and Stefan quickly intervened.

“Leave Jeremy alone, Klaus. He’s not interested. You need to back off.”

"Or find another town to impose on, since I’m pretty sure no woman or man in this one would come within ten feet of you."

Klaus ignored Damon and gazed coldly at his brother, “Ever the peacemaker Stefan but I don’t think that’s going to work out. See, I always get what I want no matter how long it takes me, and if I have to kill Tyler in order to get Jeremy to see who he really belongs to then so be it.”

He smirked as he sensed Jeremy tense at his threat. He could very well kill his hybrid. He loathed the idea of killing one of his own but if they were in the way of his desires, then he didn’t mind so much.

Klaus gave them all one last smirk before disappearing as quickly as he came. Elena breathed a sigh of relief and looked back at Jeremy, concern written all over her face, “You okay, Jer?”

“Yeah, I’m not some damsel in distress. I was handling it on my own. You guys don’t always have to be around when Klaus is. He obviously wants me alive.”

“Until he gets angry that you keep rejecting him. Then he’ll make you his mate by force and we can all guess where that’ll go,” the sardonic tone never left Damon’s voice. Jeremy blanched and Elena shot a glare at Damon.

“Was that necessary?”

Damon put his hands up, “Hey, I’m just telling it like it is. He says he’ll wait forever, but we all know how short of a fuse Klaus has when he doesn’t get his way sooner rather than later.”

Stefan shook his head slowly, “I don’t think we need to worry about that right now. He’s giving him time to come to him since Tyler is gone. We just need to keep Klaus at bay until Tyler comes back.”

Jeremy rolled his eyes. They loved talking about him like he wasn’t there, even when discussing his well-being.

“I think we should talk about this at home, when Klaus isn’t nearby,” Elena took hold of Jeremy's arm and walked to the car. Stefan started following them when Damon grabbed his arm, holding him back.

“We need to do something about this now, Stefan. You and I know how Klaus gets with his…obsessions.”

Stefan nodded his head in agreement. He hadn’t wanted to say anything in front of Elena to make her worry any more but he knew that Klaus had as much patience as an angry bear. It was only a matter of time before he made Jeremy submit

“We’ll need think of a plan. One that doesn’t involve Elena or her brother. The last thing we need is a pissed off Tyler Lockwood hybrid hunting _us_ down because we let something happen to his mate. I still don't understand how that even happened,” Damon snorted. The relationship between Elena's younger brother and the ill-tempered hybrid confused the hell out of him, but he supposed that was why Tyler sought Jeremy out for so many fights in school.

With a sigh he took of for the Gilbert clan's house. He wouldn’t put it past Elena to want to start strategizing her own plan on how to keep Klaus away from her little brother.

* * *

Later that night, Jeremy was trying to focus on his homework but he was continuously distracted by his thoughts. As much as this whole Klaus situation annoyed him—the hybrid was a persistent bastard—it also worried him. What if Klaus did lose his patience with his constant rejections? He could tell he was beginning to, so what would happen when he finally lost all patience. Could he really force him to be his mate, even if he was already spoken for? 

He shivered unpleasantly at the thought of being that close to Klaus in any way. He threw his pencil into the crease of his geometry text book and sighed in frustration. Thinking about it wasn't helping at all. He wondered how the hell he managed to attract people that all wound up dead, or turned into hybrids or were completely psychotic. And his family was downstairs with two vampires and a vampire hunter deciding what they should do to keep him safe, not even worrying about what Klaus might do to them should they piss him off.

Fucking perfect.

The loud buzz of his phone brought him out of his bitter thoughts and he picked it up. He grinned at the name that flashed across the screen, and immediately answered.

"Hey."

“Hey yourself,” Tyler’s voice always sounded so husky and dirty over the phone. It made his mind go a little blank. “I heard about today. You okay?"

Jeremy groaned inwardly. Caroline _would_ call Tyler.

“I’m fine Ty. He asks me the same question everyday and I give him the same answer. Nothing new," he could feel more than hear Tyler’s angry growl over the phone. It turned him on more than annoyed him.

“He needs to get the fucking hint that you’re already taken. When I get back, I’ll be more than happy to let him know. No one fucks with my mate and gets away with it, even if you are over 1,000 years old.”

Jeremy chuckled as he rolled onto his stomach and stretched his left arm out in front of him, holding the phone to his right ear.

“Of course you will babe. When you get back you can kick his ass,” he sighed. “When are you coming home? I miss you so much…every day gets harder and harder when you’re not here.”

“I know Jer, I feel it too. Leaving you wasn’t easy but I had to do this. He could’ve told me to kill you at any time and I would have no matter how much I resisted it. I couldn’t endanger you like that, not after what I did to Caroline.”

Chills went down Jeremy's spine as he remembered how shocked they all were, including Tyler, when he followed Klaus’ orders and bit Caroline. He was thankful that Caroline had a huge heart and forgave him. He was sure Tyler wouldn't be able to handle losing her friendship after everything they went through together. Letting Tyler go was one of the hardest things he had ever done but he knew that Tyler needed to become his own person again, away from the influence of his sire.

“Is…is it working? All the transforming?” Jeremy asked earnestly. The thought of Tyler in that much pain made his stomach twist into violent knots.

“…it's helping.”

Tyler’s voice was hesitant, trying to hide the obvious pain that transforming brought him but he really couldn't hide anything from Jeremy. “It hurts and I get sick every time I do it but I’m getting used to the pain. Marshall says it’s because my body is resisting the change but he said I should stop soon. I’m starting to feel like myself a little bit.”

Marshall was the leader of the hybrid clan that Tyler had stumbled upon in search of answers to his problem. He told Jeremy that they were friends of Jules that Klaus found when he was hell-bent on turning every werewolf he came across into a hybrid creature. Even though Jules was dead, Marshall was more than willing to help Tyler with his bond, especially because the reason Jules was dead was Klaus.

Jeremy and Tyler stayed on the phone for another good hour and a half, just like they did every night. It was the one thing that Jeremy looked forward to. Knowing that he would hear Tyler’s voice brought him peace. Even dealing with Klaus couldn’t bring him down so long as he heard his mate’s voice at night.

Jeremy had just gotten off the phone when there was a tap on the door, followed by Elena’s voice.

“Jeremy, are you busy?”

He sighed, “Come in Elena.”

She entered the dimly lit room, wearing black sweatpants that scrunched around her shins and a grey tank-top. Her hair was up and she looked like she just went on a run. She sat on the bed, gazing at Jeremy with her kind brown eyes.

“I know you get tired of me asking you this but I just want to make sure you’re okay. This whole thing with Klaus is…a lot and I just want to let you know that you can talk to me if you need to.”

Jeremy lifted his head to look at her and he smiled softly, “I'm fine, Elena, really. The whole thing freaks me out a little bit but I’m…dealing with it.”

He didn't want to worry her any more than she already was. She was always worried about everyone else but herself and she was always the one who ended up in the most danger because of it. Elena had to be the kindest sister anyone could have asked for. Even after finding out they were really cousins it didn't change the amount she loved or worried about him and he would always be grateful for that.

“Don’t worry about me so much,” he reassured. “I have a very pissed-off hybrid mate that’s gonna kick Klaus’ ass when he gets back. Everything's going to be fine.”

She giggled at mention of Tyler.

“I hope so Jer. I just don’t want you or Tyler to get hurt. Does he really think he can take down Klaus on his own?” a small hint of worry laced her voice at the thought of her childhood friend attempting to take on an Original Vampire.

“I don't know…I hope not, for his sake. Just because he’s a hybrid doesn’t mean he’s completely invincible,” replied Jeremy. “Even if he wanted to fight Klaus himself, Stefan and Damon will want to help. And Caroline.”

“Especially Caroline,” they both said at the same time, smiling at each other. Caroline was protective of Tyler, having witnessed his transformations firsthand and getting him through his first times, something that Jeremy was thankful for. He hadn’t realized his feelings for Tyler yet and was happy the werewolf wasn’t completely alone when it first happened.

Elena yawned and said she was going to bed, kissing Jeremy on the top of the head and saying goodnight before she left to her room. Jeremy bet that Stefan was waiting for her in there, like he was most nights. He couldn’t really say anything though. Tyler did the same for him.

He changed into silk boxers and slipped out of his shirt. He turned off his lamps and looked out the window to make sure no one or anything was watching him before shutting the blinds pitching the room in complete darkness. He’d picked this habit up pretty quickly when Klaus made his obsession with him known.

He got under his blankets, breathing a sigh of relief at the warmth they brought. He slid his hand underneath his unoccupied pillow and grabbed an old T-shirt of Tyler’s that Tyler had left over after he made a hasty getaway when Jenna nearly walked in on them. Tyler had wanted him to keep it, probably suspecting that Jeremy liked to cuddle with items that had his scent on it, even if he would never admit it out loud. He closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep, his mind wandering to the next time he would see his mate.

* * *

Klaus stood outside the Gilbert residence contemplating if he should knock on Jeremy’s window but he decided to leave another token of his affection instead, which was yet another picture of his beloved. His patience was beginning to wear thin however. Nobody had ever refused him so many times as Jeremy had, which was probably part of the reason he wanted him so badly. He did love a good chase.

He could hear the doppelganger and Stefan in her bedroom—Stefan’s romanticism made him sick—and he could the vampire hunter and the other Lady Gilbert trying to do their business quietly. As his eyes settled on Jeremy’s bedroom window once more, he sensed another presence before hearing the tap of heels behind him. He could feel her stop in back of him, glaring at the bedroom window of the girl who, literally, stabbed her in the back. She longed for revenge, he could tell. Too bad he needed her alive or he would gladly give his sister the girl and watch the Salvatore brothers suffer.

“How long are you planning to wait this out? We both know he won’t come to you willingly,” Rebekah’s voice was haughty.

“Don't worry sister, when the time is right he will be mine. He’ll bend to my every will,” Klaus said with a smirk. He had a plan, things were coming together.

All he had to do was wait.


	2. Chapter 2

“Ugh! There’s _no_ way we are going to this ball-thing, right? Seriously, does Klaus think he’s Prince Charming or something? It’s going to take more than that to come between you and Tyler,” the disgust was clear in Caroline’s voice as she read the invitation that was sent to the Gilbert residence this morning stating that there was a ball being hosted by the Mikaelson family that night.

Jeremy shrugged from his place on the floor in front of Elena’s bed leaning his head back and closing his eyes. Weekends were supposed to be a peaceful break from everything and Klaus just went and ruined his. He felt Bonnie gently ruffle his hair and he relaxed slightly.

Ever since all the Original Vampires were brought back and were living in Mystic Falls, everyone had been a little on edge wondering what the oldest vampire’s in history wanted in their town. They were quick to realize that Klaus wanted Jeremy and that Esther wanted to keep her family together so they stayed much to everyone’s displeasure. This ball, apparently, was their way of attempting to gain acceptance from the citizens of Mystic Falls and showing everyone they meant no harm, though this didn’t mean so much to the Salvatores and their friends.

She had given one to Jenna, who had frowned when she saw the one with the rose on it, then chucked her own invitation in the garbage. She hated that Klaus was pursuing her little nephew. Just when she had accepted that Tyler Lockwood was...interested in him and they had actually been dating all this time that he'd been sleeping over, here came Klaus. She hadn’t wanted to believe it when they told her at Elena’s insistence that they no longer keep secrets from each other and sometimes, she wished she didn’t know, for now she had to worry not only about Elena dating a vampire but Jeremy dating a werewolf-turned-hybrid and they both had their hands full.

Jeremy's reaction to his invitation was no better than his aunt's.

“Are they serious? They want to throw a housewarming party after _everything_ they’ve done to us, and they expect us to _go_?” he spat in disbelief. He tossed the invitation aside and sat back on his bed. “Unbelievable.”

Elena leaned grabbed a pillow next to Bonnie and laid back down, contemplating different scenarios about this situation might turn out. “I know you probably don’t want to go Jer, but maybe we should see if there’s anything we could use against Klaus to make him leave.”

"I’m not going," Jeremy’s tone was firm as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. “If Tyler knew I was going to a party that _Klaus_ was hosting he’d be furious…and it’s not fun dealing with a pissed-off hybrid.”

The girls all shared a look. They remembered how furious Tyler had been after discovering why Klaus decided to stay in Mystic Falls. Not being able to defend his boyfriend from his new admirer hadn’t helped that rage in the least.

_“You want me to what?” Tyler spat out, outraged at Klaus for even having the nerve to look at his mate._

_“You heard me Tyler. I want you to drink his blood. All of it,” Klaus said calmly, a wicked smile on his face. He glanced at Jeremy, who had gone pale upon hearing the words and his smile grew._

_“You’re sick!" Tyler snarled. He was beginning to feel his new fangs breach his gums and an intense burning in the back of his throat at the thought of Jeremy’s blood, the urge to drink it all growing every second. He turned to Jeremy for a moment, who was gazing at him with relief, wariness and a bit of fear before turning back to Klaus, who was watching him in amusement. Tyler growled audibly and placed Jeremy even further behind him, ready to attack should Klaus make the first move._

_“I don’t know why you insist on putting yourself through this agony. You’re going to follow my orders whether you want to or not,” the ancient hybrid smirked. He stepped closer to the couple and they took a step back. Tyler could feel the urge to obey his sire starting to take over his body._

_“Jeremy, you need to run,” Tyler growled out, sounding as though he was in pain._

_Jeremy placed his hand on Tyler’s neck and forced him to look at him. “Tyler, I know you and I know you won’t hurt me. You have to fight this, don’t let him control you!”_

_“I’m trying but I can feel this urge to kill you!” Tyler’s tone made him jump back._

_“Just go!” he begged. Jeremy stood still watching Tyler in dismay._

_“Tyler—!“_

_“GO! NOW!”_

_With one last look at the struggling hybrid Jeremy ran as fast as he could, his mind frozen with fear for Tyler and himself. He needed to find someone, he needed to find Elena or Stefan, even Damon would do right now, he needed—_

_He ran into something solid and he hit it with such force that he fell onto his back. He saw Rebekah smirking down at him before she quickly hauled him to his feet and spun him around so that his back was to her front, one of her arms holding both his own behind him in a death grip, her other hand in his hair as she yanked his head back, her fangs resting by his neck. He grunted in discomfort and tried to wiggle free but Rebekah might as well have been a rock for all the good it did him. He felt a chill of fear roll down his spine when he heard a low, menacing growl._

_“You should know by now that you can’t run from me Jeremy,” Klaus taunted as he appeared by Tyler’s side, eyes gleaming in the moonlight. “But it was precious that Tyler gave you a head start. And now this little game will end. Tyler, kill him."_

_Tyler let out an anguished whimper and took a step forward, eyes glimmering, with hunger or with tears, Jeremy couldn’t tell. He struggled against Rebekah’s hold on him, desperately trying to break free._

_“Please, don’t make him do this!” Jeremy gasped out, his arms aching considerably, “It’ll destroy him!”_

_Tyler let out another whine at hearing his mate plead with his captors before clutching his head in a desperate attempt to ward of Klaus’ command._

_“Don’t make me do this,” he begged the unforgiving hybrid. “Please, I—I’ll do anything Klaus, please—”_

_“But this **is** what I want from you Tyler,” Klaus’ smile grew wider. “This is where you show me your loyalty. By showing that you will choose me before all others.” _

_He let out a malicious laugh before appearing by Jeremy, grabbing him out of his sister’s hold and appearing just as quickly in front of Tyler. He forced Jeremy to his knees, his hand moving from his shirt to hair and yanking his head back causing Jeremy to let out a groan of pain. He sniffed Jeremy’s neck, taking a little lick before he turned to Tyler and gave him another wicked smile._

_“Well Tyler I can see why you chose this one. He smells delicious and I bet he tastes even better. It’s really too bad he’s going to die; such a waste.” He thrust Jeremy closer to Tyler, the taunting smile never leaving his face._

_Tyler dropped to his knees and was now at eye level with Jeremy, his eyes full of tears as he gazed at the boy he loved. Jeremy was going to die and it would be his fault. He felt himself moving closer. He could see the veins full of blood that was just begging to be ripped open, could taste Jeremy’s potent blood running over his tongue. He abruptly stopped moving as he caught himself and let out another snarl as he closed his eyes, two tears escaping them._

_Jeremy could feel his heart pounding rapidly. He never dreamed that he would die at the hands of his own mate, that Klaus’ hold on Tyler would lead to this. He could feel the tears starting in his eyes as he thought about how he was finally so happy, happier than he had been in a long time since his parents died and now it was all being ripped away by a maniacal hybrid doing this for his sick pleasure. His hatred for Klaus and his sister increased as he watched Tyler trying to fight Klaus’ hold as best he could._

_Suddenly, Tyler let out a loud howl that startled all of them and lunged for Klaus, knocking Jeremy over. He began crawling soon as he was free as he tried to catch his breath but he was forced back onto the ground by Rebekah and her fangs pierced his skin sucking his blood. Jeremy screamed in pain trying to shove her off and suddenly, she was gone. He blinked dazedly as Caroline’s face appeared in front of him and she lifted her wrist to her mouth and ripped the skin open. She leaned down and pressed it to his mouth forcing him to drink. He gulped her blood down greedily. When Caroline had taken her wrist back he thanked her and stood shakily._

_Stefan and Alaric both held Tyler at bay from ripping him apart and vice-versa, Damon standing in the middle of them strategically blocking Tyler from Klaus’ view. Tyler was still snarling and growling with eyes wide with fury and contempt, the tears long gone as he struggled against Alaric and Stefan (Stefan mostly) trying to get his hands back on Klaus’ throat._

_“The cavalry arrives just  when the fun is getting started,” Klaus said with mock disappointment, his taunting grin back in place, having recovered from Tyler’s surprise attack._

_Tyler growled loudly, struggling against Stefan like a small child fussing against their parent. “I swear I’ll kill you, you fucking bastard!"_

_Damon scoffed at Klaus. “You know what would be fun? Watching your own creation tear you apart. That'd be good karma for you."_

_"He couldn’t win if he wanted to. I'm his creator, his liberator. He will always be mine to control. I own him."_

_“Like hell you do!” Tyler yelled, defiance back in his voice and his struggle against Stefan lessening just a bit. “I’m going to break free of you Klaus and I’ll kill you when I do. The only one who owns me is Jeremy!"_

_“Don' t fool yourself. You can never fully belong to Jeremy because I will always come first._ _Perhaps you should let Jeremy be with someone that will always put him first,” his grin widened, “someone like me.”_

_Tyler let out a snarl that could easily be heard throughout the whole forest and dove for the smug hybrid before him. Stefan and Alaric stopped Tyler from going too far and even Damon had to force Tyler back, his strength matching Tyler’s because of age and the human blood he consumed beforehand._

_Jeremy felt his stomach turn and heart begin to pound again; Klaus wanted to make him his mate? He just nearly had him killed and now he wanted him as a…lover? He shuddered at the thought. He caught Klaus's eye and he felt sick at his lustful smirk._

_"Come, sister, we’re done here," Klaus sent Jeremy one last piercing gaze before he and Rebekah disappeared._

When Jeremy had calmed Tyler, they all retreated to the Gilbert's living room and huddled together in the small living room. None of them wanted to sleep alone, not with a maniacal hybrid on the loose. Tyler had sat against the couch with Jeremy laying between his legs and leaning his head against his chest running his fingers through the soft brown hair tensing at every sound he heard inside and outside the house, he and the Salvatores being the only ones who stayed awake through the night.

He would have liked nothing more than to march over to Klaus’ and finish their encounter in the forest but he wouldn’t, _couldn’t,_ leave Jeremy alone. Not when he was terrified of what had just happened, and so was he. He buried his nose in his hair and breathed in his scent, reassuring himself that they were both alive and alright. He had vowed in the forest that he would never let Klaus touch Jeremy and he would never let him or his mate be in that position again. He contemplated all night what he would do about the situation and made the decision to leave the next day to break this hold Klaus had over him. He refused to give Jeremy up for anyone, even if it was for the man who had saved him from his curse.

That was nearly two months ago and Klaus had pursued him since then.

“As much as we say we don’t want to go to this thing, we’re all gonna wind up there anyways," he sighed as he stood. "Maybe we should call Damon and Stefan and see what we should do."

I hope we can get rid of them soon. I'm tired of seeing Klaus's stupid face, and his bitch of a sister," Caroline snapped. She hated that the blonde Original was interested in Matt and she wanted nothing more than to rip out hair and choke her with it.

Elena dialed Stefan’s number and after a few words she announced they were on their way.           

* * *

Klaus watched with disinterest from the plush chair as Rebekah modeled yet another dress in front of the giant mirror in her room. He didn’t see what the huge deal was, she would look fine no matter what she wore.

“How about this one, Klaus? This one’s gorgeous…I know he won’t be able to resist me,” Rebekah smirked as she turned left and right to check out the back of the dress. Klaus rolled his eyes at her antics. _This_ was why he sometimes preferred men to women. Men didn’t care about these pointless matters.

“You look lovely Rebekah, just like you did in the other six dresses you’ve tried on. I don’t see why you’re going through all this trouble for a silly human boy that won’t even notice you.”

She glared at him, “You’re one to talk. Giving mother the idea to have a ball so that you could see _your_ silly little human who is obviously not interested in you no matter how many times you try to convince him otherwise.”

He returned her glare, “Not yet…but he will. Either by force or by will Jeremy Gilbert will be mine and Tyler will have to find someone else to claim.”

“That’s not possible. Once a werewolf choses their mate, it’s for life. If you take them away they won’t find anyone else and they’ll roam the earth alone forever.”

“You make it all sound so dramatic,” Klaus sighed in annoyance as he stood up and walked around to the window, “he could very well find someone else to take Jeremy’s place, it’s just a matter of if he _wants_ to.”

“But he chose Jeremy _before_ you turned him,” she stated in her know-it-all tone. “You obviously aren’t going to feel the same way because you were alone before you became a vampire. If you don’t have Jeremy it won’t kill you but it will slowly drive him mad to where he'll beg for death. It’s a rather cruel fate for a werewolf."

“How unfortunate,” the hybrid spoke lowly as he looked out the window at the lawn that would be lavishly decorated in a few hours. It was a horrible punishment but this didn’t change his mind about Jeremy. All that mattered was that the lovely teen wouldn’t be driven to insanity after being separated from Tyler. When he asked Rebekah this she laughed.

“Don’t you know anything about your species? If a werewolf choses a mate that isn’t another werewolf, they will be perfectly fine if they desire to leave their mate. It’s those with the werewolf gene that need to be careful. They can literally die of a broken heart.”

Klaus’ evil smile made its way back to his face. So long as neither he nor Jeremy would suffer any lasting consequences, everything would work in his favor. This was all becoming too easy! He would still have to deal with the doppelganger and the Salvatores but those were minor problems that could be solved. This was what he'd been waiting for. Jeremy would be his soon enough.           

* * *

The day had passed quickly and before anyone knew it, it was time to get ready for the party. Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline were all huddled in the bathroom applying make-up and hairspray while Stefan, Damon and Jeremy all waited downstairs. Despite not wanting to go, Jenna and Alaric had gone early.

"You look nice," Jeremy nodded in appreciation at Caroline's ball gown. Since Elena was going with Stefan and Damon had surprised everyone with asking Bonnie, including the witch herself, Jeremy thought it was only fair that he escort the blonde since Matt was going with Rebekah.

"Thanks!" she beamed. "He'll be sorry he went with that old hag."

They piled into two separate cars and drove to the Mikaelson’s home. When they arrived at the huge mansion that was decorated with lights, banners, and expensive silks, they paused for a moment to take in the beautiful house.

“I can’t deny I’m…a little impressed,” said Stefan with awe in his voice, clutching Elena’s hand gently. Damon looked at their linked hands with longing before grabbing a surprised Bonnie’s hand and staring at the house.

“I’ve seen better,” he scoffed, squeezing Bonnie’s hand once. He glanced at the group before looping Bonnie’s arm through his own. “Shall we?”

He walked on with the witch, Stefan and Elena following them. Jeremy felt his heart rate increase a little as he securely tucked Caroline’s arm in the crook of his own. She glanced at him, a blonde curl falling down her face gracefully and gave a grim smile.

“Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” he sighed. He _knew_ that something was going to happen tonight and whatever it was, it was going to be _big._ The two friends shared another small smile before making their way to the grand entrance.


	3. Chapter 3

Jeremy’s mouth dropped when he and Caroline walked into the foyer of the Mikaelson’s not-so-humble abode. There were lights wrapped along the rails of the double staircase, the floor was polished so much he could see the reflection of his black shoes in them. Flower decorations were stylishly placed, waiters dressed in customary attire offering delicate glasses of champagne to the awed guests. A quartet of violinists playing at a leisurely pace in the corner. However much he disliked Klaus, Jeremy had to admit that the hybrid did have a sense of elegance and timelessness about him that was fascinating.

By unspoken agreement the two wound up by the bar. Jeremy downed his glass of champagne and was reaching for another one when someone reached out and grabbed his arm.

“You might want to re-consider that drink. The last thing we need is for you to be drunk and Klaus to take advantage.”

Jeremy shot Damon a glare and took the crystal glass.

“I’m _not_ getting drunk,” he downed the glass and set it on the table immediately reaching for another, “but I need something to get me through this. I’ll be with Caroline the whole time.”

“The drunk protecting the drunk. You two never cease to amaze me,” Damon sighed, rolling his eyes and reaching for a glass himself, gulping it down quickly.

Caroline gave him a dirty look before sipping her drink, "It’s kind of hard these days since being dead apparently means your tolerance level seems to skyrocket.”

Jeremy laughed and finished his third glass. Damon smirked, “At least you won’t have a hangover… _most_ of the time.”

She grinned while placing her glass on the table, grabbing the full one next to it, “That is very true.”

“You guys almost make me want to be a vampire, sounds like a lot of nice perks,” Jeremy joked.

“That can be arranged love. All you need is ask.”

Jeremy shivered when he heard Klaus’ voice behind him. Damon’s jaw clenched, his hands balling into fists. Caroline stiffened, putting down her fourth—fifth?—drink and facing the hybrid. He was dressed in a shiny black tux, his hair was combed back neatly and his face was neat and smooth-shaven. He was wearing his usual daunting grin and looking Jeremy up and down, mentally undressing him. It made his skin crawl.

“How'd you find us so fast?” Caroline demanded. “You’re seriously the creepiest stalker I’ve ever met.”

"I just know the scent of my mate," his grin was feral. Jeremy rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to retort something smart but Damon beat him too it.

“Let’s skip the pleasantries Klaus. Why are you throwing this fancy party?"

“Why not? This town could use a little fun,” Klaus turned his head to him. “My mother wants to show everyone that we want to live in Mystic Falls peacefully, and what better way to do so then to throw them a party they'll never forget?"

“You’re up to something. You wouldn’t just throw a party without an ulterior motive,” Caroline accused.

“What makes you think I’m up to anything? I'm simply enjoying my guests," he replied before turning to Jeremy with his maddening grin. "I even sent Tyler an invitation but clearly he still has other priorities than being here to make sure you're safe from me."

"He'll be back soon," the orphan growled in annoyance. Klaus grinned.

"It's nearly tragic how loyal you are to him. No matter. I await his arrival so we can settle this dispute for good."

He smirked at the three of them before disappearing as quickly as he came.

“Infuriating bastard,” Damon muttered as he grabbed two more drinks and drained them in seconds. Jeremy couldn’t have agree more.   

* * *

Elijah and Kol stood not too far from Jeremy and the others, each observing the party carefully. When he had discovered Klaus' obsession with Elena Gilbert's younger brother, he'd been surprised. Kol and Rebekah had gotten a good chuckle out of it but he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for his half-brother. It seemed impossible for Klaus to love anyone yet he was pinning for a teenager.

So the siblings began to scheme. Each of them were sore about being daggered and carted around in caskets for thousands of years and they each wanted their revenge. Elijah especially wanted revenge for the moment Klaus tricked him into believing that he would reunite their family the night he decided not to kill him and betrayed him instead.

He glanced around again and he saw his mother and older brother Finn talking to some of the councilmembers. He'd been a bit on edge since she'd shown up, and he was wary of why Finn hadn’t left her side. Unlike her children, she seemed too willing to forgive Klaus for their mistreatment, claiming that she'd had over 1,000 years to be angry and to heal. Elijah knew it was bullshit but went with it nonetheless. He knew she was planning something sinister for his brother, for no one in their right mind would forgive Klaus for all his treachery.

He and Kol had the suspicion that whatever her plans, they involved the gorgeous doppelganger. She looked so much like Katherine that sometimes it made his heart ache, but he noticed that she was kind and compassionate, something the other lacked. What he found most enduring was that she would give her life for anyone she loved.

"Who's that girl?" Kol pointed to the blonde standing with Klaus's obsession and Damon Salvatore.

"I believe her name is Caroline," Elijah smirked at his brother. "Do you fancy her, brother?"

"She's stunning," he licked his lips.

"Maybe you could ask Niklaus to introduce you. He seems well acquainted with her."

Elijah grinned at the pinched look Kol gave at the mention of his brother. He knew he loathed the idea of asking Klaus anything.

“Or perhaps I’ll acquaint myself with her. She won’t be able to resist my charms,” he said, throwing Elijah a grin and sauntering to the bar.

Elijah shook his head, and glanced around the party once more, looking for anything that might be out of place. He spotted Elena and Stefan, who hadn’t left her side all night and didn’t look like he was planning too. Sighing, he finished off his drink and placed the empty glass on a tray that a waiter was holding while passing by. He and Kol needed to put their plan into action soon.        

* * *

Jeremy felt like he needed to smoke a joint. He needed to feel that blissed out feeling that he got from the drugs because this expensive champagne wasn’t doing it for him. If he was still in his stage where all he cared about was how he was going to get his next high, he would have ditched the party a long time ago.

He felt like Klaus’ eyes were on him ever since their encounter earlier and had been feeling on edge ever since. Damon and Caroline had long since disappeared and surprisingly left him alone. Since Klaus started pursuing him no one wanted him out of their sights for more than 5 minutes. Now that he was alone in a room full of people, he wanted nothing more than to be with someone just to distract him from the feeling of Klaus watching his every move.

His prayers were answered when Elena and Stefan appeared next to him. He gave them a weak smile, “Enjoying the party?”

Elena adjusted her shawl and gave Jeremy a concerned look, “Not really. You?”

"Same."

"Has Klaus talked to you?"

"Yeah. Nothing happened," he quickly added at her frown. "I had Caroline and Damon with me. Have you guys seen them, or Bonnie? I haven’t seen her since we got here."

“I think Damon went to find her,” Stefan said looking around for any signs of the Originals. He hadn’t let go of Elena’s hand all night, worried that Rebekah or Klaus would try something.

Jeremy sighed and leaned his head back against the pillar, wishing the night was over. He was getting tired of this game Klaus was playing with him and all he wanted was to do was sleep. He glanced down at his arm where Elena gently placed her hand.

“Do you want to leave? We can go if you want.”

“I don’t want to ruin this for anyone else. I'll deal. Klaus doesn't scare me,” he wished he could say it with more confidence. Truth was, Klaus terrified the shit out of him, especially with the way he looked at him sometimes.

“None of us really wanted to be here, we just thought there might be something that could…” she trailed off as Elijah appeared by them. Jeremy tensed slightly and Stefan let go of Elena’s hand to wrap his arm around her waist and brought her closer to his side as if to hide her.

“Stefan, Elena, nice to see you," he nodded to them before turning to Jeremy. "I don’t think we’ve met."

“I’m Jeremy,” he said quickly. This man’s stare was intense and it was making him nervous.

“Ah Elena’s younger brother. Klaus doesn't stop talking about you," Elijah said with a knowing smirk that made Jeremy want to blend in with the pillar. Did _everyone_ know that Klaus was obsessed with him?

"He's completely smitten with you. It's actually been quite entertaining to watch, though I certainly thought you would be...older."

Elijah grinned at the way Jeremy’s eyes widened with fear. Clearly the younger Gilbert wasn’t so smitten with Klaus.

“What do you want Elijah?” Stephan said with a definite edge to his voice. Elijah glanced at Stefan and Elena as if he had forgotten they were there, his eyes lingering on the brown-haired beauty longer than Stefan liked.

“I wanted to make my rounds and see how our guests were fairing. I hope you weren’t planning on leaving before the dancing began,” he said with another smirk in Jeremy’s direction before walking away. Jeremy let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding and looked at Elena and Stefan.

“So…I guess this means were staying?”

At that moment, Esther descended the stairs and announced that there would be dancing in the ballroom and that everyone should grab a partner. His stomach dropped at this, and before he could make a quick getaway, Klaus had shown up by his side offering his hand.

“You’re serious?” he asked incredulously. Where were his bodyguards when he needed them the most?

“There’s no need to be like that love, it’s just a dance,” the hybrid said calmly, a smile gracing his face as he gazed at his beloved. “Shall we?”

Jeremy cursed his luck as he took Klaus’ hand. As they got into position, he spotted Caroline and the handsome young man that she'd practically ran from at the bar. She was glaring at Matt and Rebekah in front of her. The blonde Original wore a smug smirk on her face. Elena and Stefan were on her right, but there was still no sign of Bonnie or Damon.

The music started and everyone moved simultaneously. Jeremy had a difficult time with the steps since he was in the female’s position, but Klaus was so graceful and effortless in how he whirled and twirled them about the floor that his clumsiness was hardly noticeable. It made him resent the persistent bastard just a little bit more.

“So Jeremy, how are you enjoying my party?” Klaus said as the dancers twirled again, moving back and forth in a box step. “I threw it in your honor.”

"Why?"

“Because you deserve fine things like this, love. You deserve nothing but the best,” at this Klaus dipped him quite suddenly, only to bring him back up just as smoothly and resume the dance, “and I wanted to show you how much you are appreciated.”

"That's...flattering," he said slowly as they whirled around the room again, the slightly bigger Klaus guiding him, “but this isn’t going to change my mind about Tyler. I'm staying with him no matter what."

"Is that so?" he muttered as he spun Jeremy out and spun him back into his arms.

“What if Tyler dies, then what will you do Jeremy?” he whispered harshly in his ear, twirling him quickly and resuming the dance, a little faster than before. “If your precious mate is dead then you will be free to be with whomever you please."

"And I _still_ wouldn't choose to be with you!" he hissed. "You've tried to kill _everyone_ I love, you use my sister to make your hybrids, you turned Tyler into one and then you tried to make him kill me!"

“Let bygones be bygones Jeremy!” exclaimed Klaus, infuriating smile back in place. “Everyone you love is still alive and will remain so unless they stand in my way. As for your sister…I have good reason _not_ to kill her. I’m leaving town soon and I need to bring her. You may come if you wish—”

"The hell you are!" he spat, stopping the dance all together and backing away from the maniacal hybrid. "You're not taking my sister anywhere!"

"I take that back. You _will_ come with me if you want your friends to live," Klaus snarled, smile disappearing and quickly snatching Jeremy into his arms again. Jeremy struggled to break free but Klaus only held on tighter.

"Resist me, and Tyler will die first. I created him and I can destroy him just as quickly.”

"No!” the teen cried, trying in vain to break free from the hybrid’s tight grip, “Just leave him alone! You've done enough to him!"

"Then leave town with me. If you don't, I will makes sure he dies an excruciating death and you can watch it all. Your decision love, what’s it going to be?”

“I—I—!” Jeremy’s head was spinning. This was happening too fast! But however this played out, it wouldn't turn out well for Tyler or him. There was nothing stopping Klaus from killing Tyler regardless and taking him and Elena with him. His stomach churned and he felt sick. Maybe if he agreed to go with Klaus he could buy Tyler sometime to get as far away as he possibly could.

“Come on love! Time’s ticking!” snapped Klaus grabbing both of Jeremy’s wrists in one hand and gripping his jaw tightly with the other, forcing the boy to look at him. Terrified brown eyes met cold blue ones. “Keep me waiting too long and there’ll be consequences, I guarantee that. I’m not a patient man.”

“Let go!” Jeremy all but yelled at him, pulling his wrists as hard as he could. Before Klaus could retaliate Elijah had appeared next to them.

“Mother would like a word with this one."

Klaus snarled at him, “Tell her that we’re a bit busy at the moment.”

“Klaus,” Elijah said sternly, “You know how she gets when she’s kept waiting.”

“Then I will deliver him myself when I’m ready—”

“She wants to see him now, alone. She told me to fetch him."

“And why would she do that?” he whispered dangerously, gripping Jeremy closer to him as if sensing a threat. He still didn’t fully trust his brothers or his mother after everything he did to them.

“Does she need a reason?” Elijah scoffed, “Perhaps she just wants to see who has captivated her son’s interests as of late.”

He kept his face blank as Klaus glared at him darkly, the teenager in his arms looking wide-eyed from one to the other. He could hear his heart pumping wildly and it made him smile inwardly.

“Fine,” Klaus bit out and with a dark look at Jeremy he let him go, “but make sure he doesn’t leave when they’re done. We have a conversation to finish.”

“Will do brother,” Elijah nodded solemnly as he grabbed Jeremy’s elbow, leading him through the crowd.

* * *

As Elena and Stefan twirled around the dance floor gracefully, she swore she could feel eyes watching her the whole time. She glanced over near the entrance and spotted Esther staring intently at her, eyes boring into her as if she were trying to see into her soul. She quietly alerted Stefan with a glance and he nodded. They dodged the other dancing guests and made their way towards the blonde woman. Stefan stepped slightly in front of Elena as the three made their way back into the foyer.

“You must be Elena,” she said. “I’m assuming you know me.”

“Yes. Bonnie and her mother opened the coffin you were in. Are you planning to kill Klaus?” Elena asked warily.

“Yes, I have a plan. But I need your help for it to work. Come, we can discuss this upstairs…alone,” she gave Stefan a pointed stare.

Stefan glared, letting out a low growl and held Elena closer to him, “I don’t think so.”

“She won’t hurt me,” Elena soothed. Truthfully, she had no idea if Esther planned to kill her or not but if there was a way to get rid of Klaus she would do whatever it took.

“No Elena, you aren’t going up there alone,” Stefan said, then lowered his voice to a whispered, “what if it’s a trick?”

“She is in no danger Stefan, you needn’t worry,” Esther chimed in, her face blank but eyes full of amusement. “I only say alone because I have spelled my room to only allow humans.”

Stefan sighed, his jaw clenching but he let go of Elena and watched her and Esther climb the stairs, wondering what the plan was. She felt nervous as she climbed the elegant redwood stairs that led to Esther’s room; she had no idea what the ancient witch could possibly be planning, and she prayed that whatever this plan was that it actually worked.

Esther turned right and entered a nicely decorated room where a medium-sized, wooden table stood in the middle of the floor with something that looked like a map resting on top of it. On closer inspection she saw that it was a diagram of a family tree— _Klaus’ family tree—_ with the names of all the children drawn in their own bubbles and placed in a circle with Klaus’ name in the middle and the rest surrounding it.

“You may be wondering how this will all work,” the witch spoke suddenly, making Elena jump, “With my plan not only will Klaus be destroyed but all my children as well. They should not exist, for they are abominations, threats to the natural balance of the world and they must be stopped.”

Elena stared at her, not expecting to hear something so vicious. “But I thought you were the one who…created them?”

“Yes,” said the blonde witch with a hint of remorse, “I brought them back because I couldn’t bear to see them dead but now I can’t stand the monsters they have become. This is my fault and now it is my duty to make it right.”

Elena jumped again when a man opened the door and walked into the room, holding a small, glass vial. “Will this do mother?”

“Yes Finn, thank you,” she smiled warmly and he returned it stepping away from her standing by the door. Elena opened her mouth to ask but Esther cut her off.

“Finn is my eldest son and he is willing to pay the price for my mistake. He understands he wasn’t meant to exist this way. All I need from you is a drop or two of your blood. My plan is to link all of my children together so that when one of them is killed, they will all die.”

Elena was once again at a loss for words as she thought about this plan. She knew that there was no way that Klaus and the rest of the siblings couldn’t know about this. She felt a little bad for Elijah being linked to Klaus after all he had done to help them but she knew it was for the greater good of Mystic Falls if they were all gone.

“Okay,” she murmured and held out her hand. Esther took a needle Finn gave her and pricked Elena’s finger. She winced but as quickly as the pain came it was gone and Esther was squeezing her finger to get a few drops into the vial. When she was satisfied she spread the blood over the diagram with the names of her children and started chanting a spell under her breath. The candles in the room flared and a sudden gust of wind flew through the room, disturbing Elena’s dress. The blood spread across the page and connected all the bubbles together, linking the Mikaelson children to each other. Esther opened her eyes and smiled grimly at her work.

“Thank you doppelganger.”

Elena nodded before exiting the room, her hands still lightly trembling but not as much as before. She was halfway to the stairs before someone grabbed her around the waist and covered her mouth before she could scream. She fought against her captor before a cloth was replacing the hand over her mouth. She tried not to breath as she struggled but the lack of air eventually made her and she fell into unconsciousness.

            **xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Jeremy was led by Elijah through the crowd and up the stairs. He winced at the force with which the vampire gripped his arm as he was led down the hall and they abruptly stopped in front of a room. The vampire turned to Jeremy and smirked, making his heart beat harshly against his chest. There was something wrong.

“Where are you taking me?” he spat, trying to sound angry. Elijah took one look at his hand with the Gilbert ring and snapped his neck in the next moment. He caught him before he hit the ground and carried him into the dark room.         

* * *

The motorcycle sped quickly through the countryside, the trees on either side passing by in a darkened blur. The rider knew he was going too fast but he didn’t care, he had somewhere he needed to be. The latest phone conversation with his friend had made him put his bike into overdrive. A squirrel darted out onto the road and he narrowly missed it. He couldn’t afford to stop now, he was too close to his destination.

After another 20 minutes he finally came upon the welcome sign of Mystic Falls, his hometown. He slowed slightly noticing that most of the places had locked up shop for the night. He knew there was a big event in town and it wouldn’t be hard to find out where. He slowed significantly when he spotted the giant mansion where it seemed every car in town was parked and came to a stop when his bike was fully secluded by bushes. He removed his helmet and shook his head letting his jet-black hair free. He eyed the house with fierce, brown eyes and a growl sounded low in his throat.

Using his heightened senses he sneaked stealthily to the mansion, alert for any signs of security or anything supernatural. He paused when he sensed someone—two someones—standing along the side of the house away from the party. He heard a small gasp and a deep chuckle and he suddenly felt arms thrown around his neck, making him smile. He hugged her back just as tightly.

“I missed you Caroline.”

 She pulled back with a wide smile.

 “I missed you too Tyler.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos! And thank you to 0809m for your comment!

When Tyler left Mystic Falls, he knew he was leaving at a horrible time. His mate was being threatened and pursued by the most powerful man in the world and he couldn't do anything about it. He left without knowing if he would find a solution, but it was better than being around Jeremy and being ordered to kill him for kicks. It didn't seem like transforming into a werewolf at random was possible, let alone that it could work but the more he did it, the easier it became.

He would be forever grateful to the hybrid clan he found hidden in the woods that had taken him in and worked with him to break the sire bond. They wanted him to stay longer but one phone call from Caroline had him running back.

"Sorry I'm late," he looked at the house. "So they're all in there huh?"

“Yeah."

"Where's Jer?"

"He's probably still dancing with Klaus," Matt grunted when Caroline elbowed him. Tyler scowled.

“That bastard," he snarled. "I'll break his fucking neck if he puts another hand on him."

"He'll break yours first. He's stronger than all of us combined," Caroline sighed. "You can't fight him now Ty."

“I don’t have a choice. He's another werewolf moving in on my territory and my mate. If I don't fight him he'll take him and I'll be damned if I lose Jeremy to him," he growled. His hands clenched at the thought of the hybrid.

"You're going to do this with his entire family with him?"

"I don't give a fuck who's with him. I'll kill them all."

"Tyler you _can't_ ," Caroline stressed. "They're too strong. And they're planning something. They've been acting secretive all night."

Tyler started marching towards the house. Caroline yanked him back by his arm, “What?”

"Did you not just hear me? You can't walk in there and just challenge him! They'll kill you and probably us too—!”

"I won't challenge him now, not with Jeremy so close," he snapped. "All I want is my boyfriend, so let's get him and everyone else and get the hell out of here before it does turn into a fight."

Caroline sighed as she watched the hot-headed hybrid walk towards the entrance. Matt glanced at her, “This isn’t going to end well is it?”

"Well...it's not like we can stop him," she grumbled as she followed him.

* * *

  _Jeremy felt heavenly as he lied on his bed with Tyler's arms wrapped around him in a cocoon of warmth. Warm, chocolate eyes stared back at him with mirth and he couldn't help his own smile._

_"What?"_

_"Nothing...you're just pretty to look at," he grinned._

_"I'm not pretty," he pouted._

_"You are...in a masculine way."_

_"I guess I can accept that," Jeremy chuckled. Tyler leaned in and kissed him softly._

_"I'll never give you up, you know. Not to him," he said softly. "You're mine and mine alone. He's not taking you from me."_

_"Is that so?” another voice sounded and Jeremy blinked as the image of Tyler and his room disappeared and morphed into a darkening blur. He gasped as he began to feel the darkness closing in on him._

_“I wasn’t aware you were already spoken for. I’m sure Klaus hasn’t taken kindly to that.”_

_The darkness was closing in around his throat, he felt like he was suffocating. He tried to fight it off but it was pressing down on him in every direction, he just needed to breathe…_

Jeremy’s eyes shot open and immediately noticed that he was not in complete darkness. The candles lit around the room flickered slightly, the shadow of the flames bouncing off the walls. He groaned, eyes widening when his voice sounded muffled. When he felt the cloth over his mouth he nearly panicked. Looking around from where he was laying, he could tell he was in someone's bedroom. Someone who had elegant, expensive tastes, with dark furniture that matched the wooden floors. An elegant four-poster bed lay across from the double doors that led to the balcony. He gasped when he saw the figure on the bed.

"Elena!" he screamed through his gag. He tried to stand but realized his hands and his feet were tied. He rolled to the side to get off the couch but was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Elijah smirked as he sat Jeremy upright. The teen watched him warily.

"I have been trying to understand my brother's obsession with you, but I cannot fathom what it is about you that has him so enthralled."

Jeremy turned his head towards his sister. Elijah chuckled.

“No harm will come to her or to you. I just want to talk,” he murmured. "Can we talk, Jeremy?"

Jeremy took a shuddering breath but didn't bother answering. Elijah gave him a small smirk before he walked to his closet. He reached inside and pulled out Bonnie, bound and gagged just as he was. Jeremy gasped when he dropped her in front of him.

“Cooperate, or she's out the window. Understand?”

Jeremy nodded fervently and Elijah removed the cloth.

"What did you do to her?"

"She's fine."

"Where's Damon? I know he went looking for her."

His heart sank as the vampire grinned wickedly.

“Rebekah’s handling him. He hurt her feelings and she decided he needed payback," the vampire shook his head. "She has a nasty temperament when she's...offended."

"What'd you to my sister?" he glared at Elijah. “What do you want with her—with all of us?”

“So eager to skip to the main course,” Elijah chuckled. “You’ll see soon enough. Now I would like for you to answer a question for me: how long have you and my brother’s spawn been involved?”

Jeremy blinked, taken aback by his question, “Wh-Why do you care?”

“Curiosity."

“Since…since summer,” Jeremy chose his words carefully. “Before Klaus came.”

“Interesting,” Elijah mused. “I take it that he’s not happy about that.”

Jeremy said nothing, wondering where Elijah was going with this.

“He prides himself on being so irresistible that no man or woman has ever resisted him. It’s infuriating to listen to but he is right, or he was right until you denied him,” the vampire’s smirk was back on his face. “Now I understand why he wants you so much. This is the first time in decades that anyone’s refused him.”

“Decades?” Jeremy snorted in disbelief. “I find that hard to believe.”

“Is it? Klaus is quite charming. He has a certain…air about him that draws people in. I’ve seen people throw themselves at his feet and he wouldn’t spare them a glance. The only other I have seen give as much conniving charm is Katherine. She is the only other who has refused Klaus, though he didn’t pursue her as much as he has you.”

It didn't surprise him that Katherine was also involved with him. They were two of the most twisted people he'd ever met. Elijah sat on the side of the bed and stroked Elena’s hair softly, not aware of the small smile on his face. He let out a noise of disapproval and he laughed lightly

“Relax, I’m not going to hurt her,” he never took his eyes off Elena. “That wouldn’t work in my favor.”

“Your favor?”

“Yes,” he murmured as Elena’s eyes started to open. Her brow furrowed when she met Elijah’s eyes and then widened when she remembered she was grabbed. Before she could scream for Stefan, one of Elijah’s hands went to her mouth, the other to her throat.

"No screaming, or I throw them out the window," he warned as he jerked his head towards Jeremy. She nodded before he uncovered her mouth. She sat up, her attention immediately drawn to Jeremy bound on the couch and Bonnie curled at his feet.

“Elijah…what are you doing?” her breath hitched.

“Let’s cut to the chase Elena. My mother, what did she want from you?” asked Elijah as he appeared next to Jeremy on the couch. Jeremy felt the little hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

She looked between them nervously, “She…she just wanted to tell me that she was planning of a way to kill Klaus—”

“You’re lying,” he hissed. “Your eyes deceive you."

Quicker than the speed of light he lifted Jeremy into his arms and raced to the balcony. He dangled the bound teenager by the rope tying his feet. He stared at the ground in horror, barely hearing Elena's pleading over the pounding of his heart in his ears.

“I’ll give you one more chance to tell me _exactly_ what my mother told you, every little detail. If you don’t, down he goes. I can’t imagine that would end well for him, so I suggest you choose your next words wisely Elena.”

Jeremy whimpered as Elijah dropped him slightly. He was so close—too close—to falling and he got lightheaded.

“Please Elijah you don't need to hurt him!” Elena cried, tears coming to her eyes, “I’ll tell you what you want to know, you don’t need to hurt him!”

She sighed with relief as Elijah brought her brother from over the rail and sat him back on the couch. She could see how shaken Jeremy was and she wished her hands weren’t bound so she could hug him. Elijah pulled her from the bed and threw her to the middle of the room, not fazed as she tried to right herself.

“What did she tell you?” he asked again lowly.

“She…she said she had found a way to kill Klaus…and she needed me because…” she looked at Jeremy again, terrified brown eyes meeting equally terrified brown and she continued, “because she wanted to…link you and your siblings to him so if we kill one of you—”

“Then all of us will die,” finished Elijah quietly, an unreadable expression crossing his features. The room was eerily silent for a couple moments, both Jeremy and Elena watching Elijah like hawks. A small groan from the floor drew their attention to the witch on the ground opening her eyes. Elijah glanced down at her before turning back Elena, “What did she need from you?”

“My blood. The blood of the doppelganger was the only one that could link everyone together,” she watched him carefully. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t...I didn’t want you to be brought into this at all.”

He began pacing, then paused with his eyes on Bonnie. He swiftly picked her up and threw her on the couch ripping the cloth from her mouth.

“Witch, tell me there is a way to unlink this binding spell my mother has done.”

“I—I don’t—I don’t know what kind of spell it is!” she said looking around bewilderedly, “Where’s Damon? What’d you do to him you monster!”

“You are going to fix this spell or Damon is going to be torn apart,” he spat. He untied her roughly and grabbed her arm, shoving her at the desk where an old book sat, some pages not attached to the binding. “Find the spell and fix this. Damon’s life depends on you so I would start searching.”

Bonnie shot Elijah a look of pure contempt before looking down at the book and opening it carefully, beginning to skim the rough pages.

“Elijah…what did you do to Damon? And Stefan?” Elena asked slowly, fear gripping at her heart.

“Stefan is fine,” snapped Elijah. "Damon may or may not live to see tomorrow. It depends on how well your witch works."

Bonnie flinched visibly but didn’t look up from the book, though her finger she was tracing words with had slowed significantly. She bit her bottom lip hard to keep from crying or saying anything to land them in more trouble.

Elijah pulled out a cell-phone and quickly dialed a number, muttering a few words before hanging up. Not a second later did Kol come through the door and close it quietly.

“Rebekah is quite…creative when it comes to the art of torture. I would hate to be Damon Salvatore right now,” he chuckled lightly.

Jeremy and Elena shared a look and they both knew what the other was thinking: how much longer was Damon going to live? He shifted, sinking into the couch and thoughts running through his head a mile a minute, the most prominent one being how much longer _they_ would live.

* * *

 Damon was fucked.

No, scratch that. He was _beyond_ fucked.

In all honesty, he really should have seen this coming. From the moment Rebekah showed up at his door and he got the crazy idea to mess with her head, he should have realized that _this_ was where he would end up. When they ended up in bed together having wild, animalistic sex, he thought that had made the whole thing even sweeter. He thought he would string her along a bit, find out information about their past so he could figure out how to kill Klaus while getting some good sex on the side and Rebekah did have such a _wild_ side to her. All in all, it was a win-win for both vampires. There was a reason she was called 'sexy Becks.'

And then she discovered that he was only using her. Hell hath no fury like a woman used for information and sex.

He gritted his teeth as the chains dug into his already bleeding wrists once more, blood trickling in tine rivets down his arms. His shirt was ripped open and discarded long ago and slash marks, deep and shallow, could be seen littering his torso and back. He wondered if Bonnie had made it out of the room okay but he doubted it. That one vampire—Kol or whatever his name was—was extremely fast, snapping his neck before he even knew what happened and when he came to he found himself dangling from the ceiling in the dark room and Rebekah’s unsmiling face gazing at him with malice.

“You’re pathetic,” he heard her hiss at him from somewhere in the room. “Following around that little witch playing detective. Do you really have nothing better to do now that Elena can’t be bothered with you?”

She dragged the wooden broom handle she sharpened into a stake across Damon’s chest with force and he cried out in pain.

“You’re…you’re the one who has me…tied me up so you can…have your way with me,” Damon smirked at her weakly. “And you ask me if _I_ have nothing better to do?”

She stuck the wooden pole into his side; he bit back a cry of pain.

“Look at you,” she simpered as she circled him. “Poor, little Salvatore. All alone with no one to save him. Not even your brother has come looking for you. How does it feel to know that no one cares about you?”

“You did,” he smirked. “Isn’t that why I’m here? Because you’re angry that I really couldn’t care less about you? I just used you for information on your brother. I care about him more than I ever would you.”

Rebekah slapped him hard snapping his head to the side so fast he got whiplash. He smiled despite the blood he felt pooling in his mouth.

“You won’t be laughing for much longer. Elijah should have done away with your witch by now,” she smirked at the frown on his face, “I hope you treated her better than how you treated me, otherwise she’s better off.”

She left him in total darkness.

* * *

 Tyler was pissed. He’d been here for a good twenty minutes and not only could he not find Jeremy, he couldn’t find Klaus either, which made him extremely worried and extremely jealous at the same time. There weren't that many people that lived in their town, so it shouldn't have been that hard to find at least one of them! The only thing keeping him from clearing the house out to find Jeremy was Caroline’s constant reassurances that he was fine.

He growled when he saw Klaus, a terrible frown upon his face. He stalked to him and turned him roughly by his shoulder.

"Where the hell is Jeremy asshole!”

“Tyler! How nice of you to show! I was worried you hadn't received my invite!” Klaus smirked, as if he’d been expecting him the whole night, “How’s your therapy coming? Have you come to your senses yet?”

“Answer my fucking question before I rip out your heart,” Tyler snarled, anger and fear beginning to cloud his head, “where is he?”

“It seems my mother wanted an audience with him, though I don’t know what is taking them so long,” his smile turned smug. "She was excited to meet my mate, said we looked lovely dancing together.”

If Caroline hadn’t been holding his arm so tightly, Tyler would have hit him.

"Keep your hands off him," he bit out with barely restrained fury. "This is your last warning."

Klaus threw his head back and laughed loudly, “Are you challenging me Tyler? You’d fight your savior for a human boy?”

"Damn right! He's mine, and if you think I'd just hand him over to you because you think you deserve him, you're wrong," he seethed. "I'll protect him before I'd ever do anything for you. He'll _always_ come before you."

"Is that right?" the ancient hybrid jeered. "Well if it's so serious then you must be prepared to fight me to the death for him. That is how werewolves settle matters such as these and I can't die. I am immortal Tyler, and Jeremy will come to me when I want him to."

"He'll _never_ want you," Tyler hissed. "And no one is immortal Klaus. You have a weakness, I just have to find it and when I do, you're dead."

He turned and he walked back the way they first came, hoping to see Jeremy. He felt Caroline squeeze his arm again and he smiled slightly, feeling some of the fear that was creeping up on him beginning to recede a tiny bit.

* * *

Jeremy could feel his wrists starting to chafe from the rope. He felt Elena’s body huddled into his side and it brought him slight comfort. Bonnie was still searching for a spell to undo the curse without any luck and he could see the vampires becoming impatient.

“This is ridiculous, there can’t be that many spells in there,” Elijah snapped, making the three teens jump. “However long this takes, we can still carry out one part of the plan Kol.”

“Ah yes, we can. Will you fetch our sister and get rid of our guests, or shall I?” his grin was wide.

“You were always the better actor. You should do the honors,” Elijah said smiling evilly. "And tell Niklaus to wait in the hallway for his...surprise."

Jeremy and Elena shared a terrified look. Whatever was about to happen was not going to be good. He chanced a glance at Bonnie who had started shaking as she rushed through pages and pages of the book trying to find the answer to the vampire’s problems. After a few moments Kol came back, the smile never seeming to have left his face.

“It’s done. The guests have left and there’s no sign of Finn or Mother anywhere.”

"Good,” Elijah smiled. Without any warning he snatched Elena from the couch, throwing her over his shoulder and raced onto the balcony. He hopped onto the railing before disappearing onto the roof, Elena's scream trailing after them.

“Elena!” Jeremy screamed, struggling against his bonds, “No! Where are you taking her?”

Kol merely grinned at him. The door was thrown open again and Rebekah walked in half-carrying half-dragging a bloody Damon in her arms, throwing him down in the middle of the floor. Jeremy was lost for words at seeing the normally strong, sarcastic vampire beaten down so brutally.

Bonnie gasped and abandoned the spell-book throwing herself beside him, her shaking hands flying to his face. “Damon? Can you hear me? You’ve lost a lot of blood, you need—”

“I don’t think so,” Rebekah snatched her away from him by her hair and threw her into the desk hard. "If you don’t find that spell I get to kill him and right now, I’m leaning towards letting him bleed to death.”

Jeremy struggled against his tight bonds again, a new desperation building up in him. He needed to get free, he had to save his friends, he had to get out of here so he could see Tyler again—

He lost his train of thought when he felt Kol throwing him over his shoulder. He blinked and he was outside, looking at the ground from the balcony once more and moving higher. He was set on his feet unsteadily and turned around to face the front lawn of the house. No cars were in sight. His head was yanked back harshly and he felt Kol snarling near his neck, his fangs just skimming his skin; if Kol wasn’t hanging onto his jacket he would have fallen by now. He heard a scream come from his left and looked to see Elena being held by Elijah, one arm being held behind her back, her dress flowing slightly in the breeze that passed by.

"What the hell is this?" Jeremy cried as Kol edged him closer to the edge. "What're you doing?"

“Jeremy!” Elena cried out in panic as she struggled in vain against the Original. “Elijah I’m sorry! I didn’t want to link you to him, I swear!”

“This isn’t about my mother or her spells. This is about Klaus,” he spat. “This is for all those years he separated our family.”

“And for carting us around in those god-awful caskets,” Kol snarled gripping the teen’s brown hair tightly. Jeremy briefly wondered if anyone was still inside that would realize they were missing.

Like an answered prayer, a blonde-haired figure ran out of the house onto the front lawn carrying her blue dress to keep it from dragging on the lawn freshly wet from the sprinklers. Kol sighed when he realized it was the heavenly being he danced with earlier, smiling as she turned around and glanced up, letting out a horrified gasp.

“Oh my god—Elena! Jeremy!”

“Caroline!” Elena screamed and began wriggling to break loose. Jeremy tried to say something but the arm in his hair tightened and all that came out was a groan. Five more figures ran out of the house and turned to look up as well, and Jeremy felt his heart speed up an alarming rate when he recognized a voice he’d only heard over the phone for two months cry out in terror.

“Jeremy!”

“Tyler,” he whispered struggling once more against the vampire’s arm, ignoring his chuckles. “Tyler!”

“Let him go!” Tyler yelled in fear, his panic of Jeremy dropping to his death overcoming his anger. He could hear Klaus snarl out in anger next to him as he looked at the scene of his brothers preparing to launch the two Gilbert siblings from the roof. Stefan growled and was about to run back into the house when Elijah’s voice stopped him.

“I wouldn’t do that Stefan, unless you want to send Damon to his death.”

On cue, Rebekah forced Damon onto the balcony, holding his head back with one hand and a stake pointed right at his throat. He was still bleeding heavily, loosing so much blood he didn’t have the strength to fight back anymore. Stefan froze and gaped at the state Damon was in. He looked at Elena and Jeremy again and didn’t know what to do.

“What the bloody hell are you doing Elijah!” Klaus growled.

“It’s not a nice feeling is it? Having to choose which one is more important to you?” Elijah spat angrily at his brother. “You betrayed me Klaus. You promised to reunite our family and instead you drove a stake through my heart! All for your new species of half-breeds that you cherish more than your own family!”

“None of you cherished me! You abhorred me because I’m more powerful than all of you!” Klaus growled. “You hate that you’re not part of the more superior species!”

“You don’t need to do this Elijah,” Stefan said carefully with his eyes glued to Elena, “we can figure this out another way. No one has to die.”

“Unfortunately it does have to be this way Stefan. Or perhaps we will just kill the boy and turn Elena into a vampire.”

Tyler and Klaus instantly protested, yelling a string of curses at Elijah and the vampire’s head snapped towards them, eyes narrowing on Tyler.

“I see your spawn has returned,” Elijah smirked. “How does it feel to know that the object of your affections chooses someone else over you? Your own newborn that you could have easily killed by now.”

Tyler snarled at Elijah as his eyes glowed yellow, hundreds of ways to kill the vampire coming to his mind rapidly. This was not how he pictured coming home to him at _all._  He had planned on surprising Jeremy, seeing excitement in those big brown eyes before his beautiful, wide smile would appear on his face at just the sight of him, not full of terror and being held on the edge of death by a vampire he’d never even seen before. How the fuck did they _always_ find themselves in these situations?

"Ty!" Jeremy's voice wavered as Kol pushed him further to the edge, his toes going over.

“Do something!” Tyler hissed at Klaus. Klaus seemed frozen with his eyes fixed on Jeremy and was, for once, at a loss for words. For the first time in his existence, Klaus had no idea what to do.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late! Thanks to everyone who's reading!

Elena let out a pained gasp as Elijah's grip on her arm tightened. She glanced at her cousin and her heart pounded when she saw how close Kol's fangs were to his neck.

"Elijah please let Jeremy go," she begged. "I'm the one you're angry with so take it out on me, not him!"

The Original couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for her but he was set in his resolve. This was the only way to make Klaus see the error of his ways.

“I’m sorry Elena but this is the only way to make him see,” he said softly. He pulled her back from the edge a little as he called to his brother.

“So who will it be Klaus? Your doppelganger or your precious human?”

“I don’t know what you hope to accomplish Elijah but you _will_ stop this,” Klaus said in a dangerous tone. “Don’t make me put you back in that coffin.”

“Now that’s the attitude that landed you in this situation Klaus,” taunted Kol. “Don’t you have any other tricks to pull? That one’s getting old!”

Klaus let out a sound between a howl and a snarl and glared at his younger brother, “And that is the reason I didn’t bother to un-dagger you Kol! I should have left that dagger in you…in all of you!”

“I thought I was your favorite,” Rebekah pouted.

“You’re not doing much to help the situation are you?” he sneered. "And so help me, you will be the first to go if you don't stop!"

“You know how to end it Klaus,” said Elijah softly. “If you don’t choose, we’ll choose for you. So dearest brother, who is it going to be?”

Klaus glared at his siblings furiously. It would be more practical of him to save Elena for the purposes of making hybrids. But as he stared at Jeremy on the ledge, he realized he'd never wanted someone so much before. He couldn't bear having him ripped away before they had even had their chance. Jeremy could be the one he was looking for.

He glanced at Tyler next to him, and felt a twinge of pity as he kept his eyes on Jeremy. How he felt about losing Jeremy was nothing compared to how he must have felt. He could hear his heart pounding and he could practically feel the anger and fear radiating off of him.

“How fast could you get up there?” he muttered to him. Tyler’s head snapped to him and his eyes narrowed.

“What?”

"We're faster and stronger than all of them. We can stop them both."

“By the time we get up there they could be dead,” Tyler snapped at him, “I’m not taking that chance.”

"Then say your goodbyes to Jeremy because Elena is the one I'm saving," he spat. "She is the reason you're alive and she is the only way to create more."

"So you'd choose your hybrids over him? You're a heartless dick!" Tyler snarled furiously.

"Yes, I would. But you don't have the option of choosing, do you?"

Tyler growled lowly in his throat. It was true, he didn't have the option of choosing who he would save because it would always be Jeremy. As his mate, he was vital to his survival, like being to halves of one soul. Jules had told him when they left Mystic Falls that werewolves that lose their mates lost their minds and their will to live. They would carry on in life until they no longer could and when death came, they would welcome it with open arms because they couldn't find the will to live without their other half. This freaked him out and he vowed that he would never allow himself to fall in love. It was only when he returned and he saw Jeremy that he realized it was too late.

And falling in love had been completely worth it. The threat lingered, but when he woke up in Jeremy's arms to his beautiful smile and he couldn't imagine a life without him in it. Being with Jeremy gave him freedom; it made him happy in ways he hardly remembered being happy; and it destroyed every negative thought he had about having a mate for life. His life was beautiful because of Jeremy, and he wasn't going to let anyone take his ray of sunlight away.

"If you don't make your decision in five seconds, he's going to die."

"It'll be your fault, since you love your hybrids more," he snapped. "All that time you spent trying to make him leave me and you'd let him die like this."

"You're being overdramatic."

"Oh am I? I can't believe I was ever loyal to an asshole like you!"

"Guys!" Caroline snapped. Next to her, Stefan's eyes darted between his girlfriend and his dying brother.

“Where’s Bonnie?” Caroline asked and everyone looked at her, remembering that the witch was neither up there with the hostages or on the ground with them. “What’d you do to Bonnie?”

"She's helping us with a little project," Elijah called back. "If she succeeds then Damon can live."

"Where is she?"

"I don't think she is of your concern now," Elijah rolled his eyes. "Niklaus, we do not have all night for this. Make your decision."

"I'm tired of waiting," Kol gave his brother a malicious smile before sinking his teeth into Jeremy's neck. He screamed in shock and tried to free his hands to push Kol away but the ropes only cut into his wrists.

"No! No don't!" Elena screamed as she struggled. "Jeremy no!"

The moment Kol's fangs entered Jeremy's neck, Tyler had had enough. With a furious snarl he sprinted towards the house and jumped onto the balcony, startling Rebekah and causing her to drop the stake she kept at Damon's heart. He propelled himself onto the roof with such agility that even Klaus was amazed and charged for Kol so suddenly that he nearly lost his balance. He slid backwards to the edge of the roof, keeping Jeremy in front of him.

"One more move and down he goes!" he cackled gleefully. Jeremy looked dazed, blood seeping onto his white dress shirt as he stared at Tyler with dull, terrified eyes. 

There was a scream in back of Tyler and the sharp sound of someone’s neck being snapped rang in his ears. He just registered that Klaus joined them, knocking Elena off the roof in the process, and Kol lost his taunting grin when he saw his brother go down. Klaus jumped over him to reach his brother, knocking him and Jeremy off the roof and he dove without thinking, grabbing Jeremy's bound hands by the rope as he dangled face first from the ceiling. Below, he could see Kol hanging onto his mate's leg.

The Original gave him a wicked smile before swiftly climbing up Jeremy's body and sinking his fangs into his side. Jeremy cried out in pain. Klaus lept from the ground and grabbed his brother around the neck, forcing him down and ripping his fangs from Jeremy's body in the process. Tyler pulled him back onto the roof and cut his wrists with his teeth before holding it to Jeremy's mouth. He whimpered around the open wound as he took his blood.

"I got you babe. You're gonna be fine," he soothed as he smoothed his hair back. When Jeremy had enough he pulled his wrist away, healing quickly, and scooped Jeremy into his arms.

"You're here," he whispered as he buried his face in his neck. "You're really here."

"Yeah, I'm here," he kissed his hair before hopping down from the roof. The Originals were nowhere in sight; only Elijah remained on the roof motionless. Caroline had found Bonnie inside and the witch was busy feeding Damon blood from her wrist as she smoothed back his hair. Stefan had caught Elena when she fell from the roof and she was reassuring him and Matt that she was fine.

He appeared next to the blond, "Can you take us home? I only have my bike."

"Yeah."

They ran to Matt's truck parked on the barren street. Tyler didn't bother with a seatbelt as he adjusted Jeremy carefully on his lap before taking off.

* * *

 The mood at the Gilbert residence was quiet when Elena and Stefan made it back in. Jenna frowned when she saw how somber and quiet they were.

"What happened? Where's Jeremy?"

"With Tyler," she sighed as she removed her shawl. "We had to take Bonnie to the hospital."

"Why? Is she alright?"

"She will be," she sighed. The nurse told them Bonnie had a serious concussion and should be watched for a couple days in case anything happened. Damon volunteered before Elena could even open her mouth.

"Damon will be over later to explain everything. He wanted to get Bonnie situated," Stefan murmured. Jenna nodded, deciding not to ask anymore questions and sent her niece and her boyfriend along. She could see they were stressed and she would let Elena break her rules this one time.

When they were in her room Elena slammed the door and dropped her clutch by the door. She quickly and silently removed her jewelry and her make-up before shimmying out of her dress. She couldn't help but be angry at how tonight had turned out. Ever since vampires had come to Mystic Falls, every dance, ball, gala and fundraiser had been a disaster. Would there ever be a time when they could just go out and have fun again? It seemed highly unlikely with who she was. The doppelganger everyone wanted dead.

She placed it over the chair of her desk and was about to remove her bra when she felt Stefan do it for her. A kiss to her shoulder made her feel shivers as his hands cupped her breasts.

"You looked beautiful tonight," he murmured against her hair. "I was so close to taking you into one of those rooms upstairs."

She turned to him with a grin, "You should've. It would have made for a better evening."

The brunette doppelganger helped him out of his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt while she kissed on his neck. When it was gone he pulled her into another soulful kiss.

"I should...check on Jer," she panted when they pulled apart. Stefan looked put out for a moment before nodding and kissing her forehead. She slipped on her black robe and padded through their joint bathroom. She paused when she was about to knock when she heard voices.

"I swear, I'm _fine_ Ty."

"He nearly through you off his roof Jeremy. You aren't fine."

"I'm not made of glass. I won't break."

"He could've killed you if I wasn't there—"

"But you _were_. And I'm okay."

There was a pause, and Elena had a pretty good idea of what was happening.

"Are you...you're not leaving again, are you?" Jeremy's voice was noticeably heavier with ragged breathing. "Please say you're not leaving."

"I'm not. I can't leave you again."

The silence resumed and she took that as her cue. She smile when she saw Stefan thumbing through one of her magazines and shut her door.

* * *

Tyler ran his fingers lazily through Jeremy’s hair as he used his bare chest as a pillow. Jeremy wrinkled his nose and murmured a few words Tyler couldn’t understand and buried his face further into his chest. Tyler smiled softly. He would never tell Jeremy how adorable his sleeping habits were. Normally, he hated when Jeremy fell asleep so quickly after they made love because he was always left awake with his racing thoughts. Tonight however, he welcomed the time to think.

How many more times would Jeremy and his friends be in life threatening situations? He knew the Gilberts had a knack for attracting trouble, but it seemed to increase since The Originals came to town. He wished more than anything that Klaus would just disappear and leave them alone but he knew that would never happen, not as long as he wanted Jeremy for himself. He hated that he could take Jeremy from him and he could do nothing. There had to be a way to kill The Original hybrid but the clan he stayed with told him that it was impossible. Still, the fact that he couldn't fight the wolf that wanted to lay claim to his mate greatly irritated him.

Klaus could and would use everyone against him if he even tried to go against him, and Tyler knew if it came to choosing his friends or Jeremy, he knew it would _always_ be him. It wasn't something he could help, and he was grateful that they all seemed to understand. But that didn't mean that he wanted to lose members of his pack either.

He heard a creak from the neighboring room and he grimaced when he heard Elena and Stefan trying to be as quiet as possible _again_. He wondered if Stefan had to deal with the same thing with him and Jeremy and the grimace turned into a smirk. Jeremy was always vocal, even when he was trying to be quiet, so he was sure the vampire had heard his fair share of their sexcapades. He tuned them out and closed his eyes, smiling when Jeremy wrapped his arms tighter around him.

* * *

News that Tyler Lockwood had finally returned from his trip spread around Mystic Falls High like wildfire Monday morning. Girls giggled in the halls as he walked by with members of the football team, throwing charming smiles left and right. Jeremy watched the show as he walked behind them to his locker, laughing when a girl visibly got weak in the knees.

He passed Elena and Bonnie at their lockers and made it to his near the end. Loud, obnoxious laughter at the other end had him turning his head. He saw Rebekah flirting and giggling with other football players as if she hadn't tried to kill Damon two days ago. She caught his eye and winked. He quickly averted his eyes and tried to remember what classes he needed books for. A hand grabbing his ass made him jump and he whirled around to Tyler and his cheeky grin.

"Hey babe."

"Someone's going to see you," Jeremy murmured, trying his hardest not to smile.

"You know I don't care. I actually _want_  people to know I'm dating you, remember?"

A group of girls walked past them and started giggling. A couple of them gave Jeremy weird looks and he shook his head.

"And that's the reason I don't," he sighed as he closed his locker. "I'm pretty much the school outcast Ty. It's bad enough that people judge you for even talking to me where they can see you."

"Hey," he grabbed his arm. "You know that it would only take a few words for me to set people straight. I don't care what they think about me. I talk to whomever I damn well please and people can kiss my ass if they don't like it."

Jeremy laughed at his boyfriend’s cocky attitude as he slung his backpack onto his shoulders and closed the locker. “Well excuse me Lockwood. I wasn’t aware you were so important.”

"You should know Gilbert," he wiggled his eyebrows as he walked with his mate to his first class. “You’re coming to practice after school right?”

“Why not? I have nothing else to do.”

“You could make me dinner for when I get home. Be the good housewife I know you are," he smirked. Jeremy rolled his eyes.

“Because my life revolves around serving you. Yeah right."

"No. You'd do it because you love me, and I always cook for you."

"You don't even eat food," Jeremy laughed as they stopped in front of his door. "But if you really want me in the kitchen and risk burning down your house..."

"I forgot how you can't cook anything not from a box," Tyler chuckled. "I think we can cross cooking off your list of wifely duties."

Jeremy shoved his shoulder when he laughed, "I'm not your wife, dick."

"The only thing missing is a ring."

Jeremy's breath caught, his heart racing like he was running a marathon. Tyler didn't even look to see if anyone was watching when he brought Jeremy's hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. His eyes never left his mate's, and Jeremy wondered how much trouble he would be in if they ditched the whole day. Surely no one would notice.

"Do you think anyone would notice if we just left?" he murmured huskily as Tyler pulled him closer.

"Probably not," he whispered as they leaned in simultaneously. A loud cough made them pull apart hastily.

"I would," Rebekah said haughtily as she strutted towards them. "And then I would have to tell the principal that I caught you snogging and ditching class. That would go on your record, no doubt."

"What the hell do you want?" Tyler snapped irritably as he stood in front of Jeremy protectively.

"Now Tyler, there's no need for all that aggression," she simpered. "We used to be friends, remember?"

"No," he scowled. "I remember you being a manipulative bitch and taking advantage of the fact that your brother was my sire."

"If that's how you see it. I see you have your own personal blood bag now," her sharp blue eyes turned onto Jeremy. "That must be a thing with you Gilberts. Elena has Stefan feeding off of her like a leech and now you have him. Does being used and abused turn you on?"

"Don't you have class?" Jeremy sneered.

"Study hall," she smirked as she walked down the hall. Without turning around, she called out, “Niklaus sends his love to Jeremy!”

Tyler growled and took a step forward. Jeremy quickly turned him around and pressed a couple kisses to his lips.

"I'll see you later," he muttered before going into his class. Tyler felt a vibration in his jeans and pulled out his phone to see two texts from Matt and Caroline asking where he was. He sighed and walked to his class down the hall.

* * *

 The sun beat down on the players and cheerleaders as they practiced on the grassy field. The bleachers were the only structure provided with enough shade for sitting outside to be comfortable. Jeremy leaned against the middle row of metal with his sketch pad in his lap as he watched Tyler, Matt and Stefan on the field. He didn't like sports, never had, and he only embraced them because of Tyler. It was more than a game to his mate, and for that reason he supposed he could deal with them. He looked down at the picture of Tyler observing the field from the sidelines and smiled. His art was getting better.

“That’s very good.”

He jumped at the voice in his ear. His heart pounded when Klaus took a seat next to him.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm watching idiotic boys chase after a ball," he smirked. "I honestly don't see the point in this game. It's utterly barbaric."

"You can't be here if you're not a student."

"Haven't you ever broken a rule? You need to live a little, love," the hybrid jovially laughed, scooting even closer to the teen, “Where did you learn to draw like this?”

"I've always liked art," he mumbled. He wondered if Tyler knew if Klaus was there and, yep, he was glaring in their direction. Jeremy could tell he was pissed.

"I appreciate the fine arts as well. There's something...therapeutic about the feel of a pencil to paper," he leaned forward. "I'm sure it frustrates Tyler that you can spend hours drawing but you don't enjoy sports."

"He doesn't care," he snapped. "Have I not made myself clear when I've told you I'm not interested in you?"

"You made yourself very clear love."

"Then why do you keep harassing me?"

The hybrid smirked, "If I'm bothering you so much, then feel free to sit somewhere else. I'm merely watching the game."

"That you don't even like."

"I was bored. Perhaps if I watch the game and understand it's purpose I can understand why teenage boys would run up and down a large field screaming and grunting like complete morons."

Despite his irritation, Jeremy couldn't help the smile that quirked his lips. He fought back his laugh.

"Ah, you agree," Klaus chuckled. "You and I are like minds Jeremy."

"Not in the slightest," he sneered. "I'm nothing like you."

"Perhaps not, but Tyler certainly is," Klaus's smirk widened. "If you can give him a chance than I know for a fact that I have one."

Jeremy spat out a harsh laugh, "And how did you come to that conclusion?"

"Well for starters, you have yet to move. And you've been trying to avoid all eye contact with me. And your heart started beating just a little faster when I sat next to you."

Jeremy looked him in the eye.

"I haven't moved because I was here first. And my heart beat a little faster because you're my creepy stalker that doesn't take a hint and I don't want my _boyfriend_ to get in trouble for trying to fight you. So please don't flatter yourself Klaus. I'm not attracted to you, I don't even _like_ you. And I never will."

"I doubt that," Klaus grinned. "Tyler is far from perfect. It's only a matter of time before you grow bored of the closeted small town boy and look for better things. You're going to want more out of life than football games and homecoming dances where he parades some girl on his arm and doesn't even acknowledge you."

Jeremy slammed his sketch book shut, shoved it hurriedly into his backpack and stood.

“You don't know the first thing about Tyler or about what I want," he spat. "Stay away from me Klaus."

He swung his backpack onto his shoulder before walking away from the hybrid quickly, ignoring his smug laugh and eyes on his back the entire time. He didn’t know where he was going, he just knew he needed to get away.

When he got to the grassy bottom of the bleachers he heard gasps, a whistle blow and the coach start to yell and he turned around to see one of the players on the ground being surrounded by his teammates and Tyler being held back by Matt and Stefan. Jeremy sighed. _This_ was exactly what he wanted to avoid. Tyler's anger spiked when Klaus came around, understandably, and he was the only one who could calm the hybrid down. But he found a spot next to Bonnie under the trees, her concussion hindering her from practice for a couple days.

“Hey Jer," she smiled as he dropped his bag and covered his face with a loud groan. "Long day?"

“You have no idea,” he grumbled, “and it just got even longer.”

She smiled sympathetically, “Looks like it.”           

* * *

Jeremy sighed for the umpteenth time from his spot against Tyler’s bed as the hybrid broke yet another pencil from pressing it into the paper too hard as he sketched. Drawing was the hybrid’s way of blowing off steam and right now he was fuming. Practice had been let out early thanks to Tyler’s uncontrollable temper and he had stormed into the locker room with Jeremy watching warily. He reappeared when Stefan and Matt were finished telling them about his altercation with one of the receivers and the concussion from one punch that landed him on the bench for the next three games, still fuming as he gruffly told Jeremy they were leaving. The younger packed his stuff and left without a word to anyone, knowing they felt sorry for him.

“Are you gonna ignore me the whole night or are you gonna tell me what’s wrong?” Jeremy finally asked.Tyler had refused to talk to him the first two times he tried to make conversation and he was tired of the silent treatment. When he didn't respond his irritation grew.

"I'm going. Call me when you're not being an ass," he snapped as he slung his bag over his shoulder. When he opened the door Tyler finally spoke.

"Do you have feelings for him?

Well _that_ was random. Jeremy frowned as he turned around. "For who?"

"You know who," he growled. "I saw you two together."

Jeremy gaped at him, "What the—no! What the hell kind of question is that?"

"There must be a reason he's still chasing you!"

"Yeah! He's a creep that can't take no for an answer!" Jeremy yelled, anger clear in his voice. "I can't believe you would even ask me that!"

"Why the hell are you getting mad?" Tyler hopped up from the bed. "It's a valid question Jeremy! He was here for three months when I was gone!"

"What does that have to do with anything? He was here and you were off trying to fight your sire bond! I never forgot that once Tyler! I never forgot that he is the one who turned you and made you what you are! And the fact that you would even _think_ that I would develop feelings for him after everything he's done is stupid!"

"What the hell am I supposed to think Jeremy?" he exclaimed. "He draws you these pictures that could be in a fucking art gallery and he throws you fancy parties and buys you all these things from fucking Europe and God knows where else and he does all these things for you that I've never even thought of and—!"

Jeremy silenced him by smashing their lips together. His arms immediately wrapped around him, squeezing his ass to bring him closer. His tongue slid along the seam of his mate's lips and he parted them immediately s in a sensual dance of domination. Tyler dragged him back to the bed, bringing Jeremy to straddle his lap before laying on his back. Jeremy groaned when Tyler's hands slipped under his shirt and he sat up to take it off. Tyler licked his lips at his toned chest, his hands resting on his hips.

"You are the _only_ person I want," he said lowly. "You're the only one I belong to. Klaus is persistent, we both know that Tyler. He only wants me because he's mad he's not getting his way. He tries to buy my love and he can't."

He pressed another tender kiss to his lips. "I'm mated to you for life. My heart, my soul, my everything belongs to you. ”

“Always.” Tyler whispered as he rose up and caught Jeremy's lips again. He dragged them up to the head of his bed before rolling them over. He rested on Jeremy comfortably, pressing their noses together in an Eskimo kiss.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to get angry."

"I know. It's a werewolf thing," he smiled. "But you can't react to Klaus every time he's nearby babe. That's what he wants."

He gently massaged the back of his neck, playing with the little hairs there, "Klaus means nothing to me. He's never meant anything and he never will. All I want is you."

"Good," Tyler sighed against his lips before he pressed them back together. No more words were spoken.

* * *

“The witches on The Other Side are the ones giving mother her power,” Rebekah told her siblings as they sat in their living room. "The Bennett witches are the ones who resurrected her and she is feeding on the power of their ancestors."

"So if we are able to cut off her power supply, the spell would break," Elijah mused. "Would we need to kill both witches?"

"If we kill them, they will merely join the others on The Other Side and continue fueling her power. Killing them will do no good."

Elijah frowned, "Then we must permanently take their power."

"And I have a feeling none of you know how to accomplish that, which makes this meeting entirely pointless," Klaus growled. He was still angry with his siblings for the stunt they pulled but had begrudgingly met with them to figure out how to solve their predicament. Since their obnoxiously loyal brother Finn disappeared with their mother, they were stuck inside the house while they thought of a strategy.

"Oh hush Nik. Don't get your panties in a twist," Kol snickered. Klaus growled.

"You never cease being obnoxious, do you?"

"Silence," Elijah said firmly. "Unless you have a plan to fix this."

"Why don't we just turn one of them into a vampire? That would solve the problem easily."

"Because the Bennett witches are guarded by the Salvatores and their friends," Rebekah rolled her eyes. "She's Elena's best friend for goodness sakes."

"Then we get her mother," Klaus snapped impatiently. "We need to do something, because I don't fancy being linked to you lot for all of eternity.”

“Same here,” Kol sneered at him, “it’s bad enough were all stuck inside with you.”

“Well then you can burn,” Klaus hissed, “I’m tired of looking at you, pathetic excuse of a vampire.”

“Stop!” Rebekah cried. “This isn’t getting us anywhere. We need to get one of the witches to reverse this spell. Then once were all free we can go our separate ways.”

They grunted in agreement. Rebekah shook her head sadly. She didn’t want to separate from them so soon after reuniting but it would take them a long time to forgive each other. She wanted them to stay with her in this small but quaint town but she knew they would grow bored. Mystic Falls was nothing compared to New Orleans, or even Paris.

"We will try to remove Bonnie Bennett from the Salvatore's protection first. If that doesn't work, then we'll go for Abby."

"Fantastic," Klaus growled before whooshing upstairs. When her other brothers scattered, the blonde Original knocked on the door to his room. She took his grunt for a sign to enter and she made herself comfortable on his bed.

"What do you want?" he snapped.

"Oh honestly Nik, are you still upset over the party?"

"Elijah and Kol tried to take away my new family and you sat back and watched like it was a bloody television show! Yes, I'm still upset," he snarled.

"So what? Will you leave once we are unlinked?"

"That is precisely my plan. I'll take my doppelganger and my mate and get out before you try to kill them again."

"I don't understand you," she retorted as she stood. "I thought that your dream was for us to be a family again. I thought that the whole purpose of carting us around in caskets for years was because you wanted us all to be together and now you plan to leave us?"

“I wanted to reunite my family so we could live in peace, not so you all could plot against me,” he bit out. “I no longer have any desire to be around them so I’ll be leaving to create my new species _exactly_ as I planned.”

"And if I choose to stay?"

“Then you’re a fool. The Salvatores and their friends will always be plotting to kill you. One day they might succeed.”

Rebekah gave her brother a level stare before turning to leave but not without one last comment.

“The Salvatores have fallen for the same woman twice and have hated each other to the point of death for years, but they are always willing to die for each other. I thought when you said always and forever that it was a promise you intended to keep but now I realize what I fool I was for believing you. Nothing matters more to you than creating your superior species," she laughed bitterly.

"I truly pity Jeremy Gilbert, because you are willing to rip him from the man he loves and force him to accept your own twisted version of it if it means that you win. All you will succeed in doing is making him miserable when you take him away because you don't have the capacity to love anyone more than yourself."

Klaus suppressed the urge to bite her as he slammed his door.


	6. Chapter 6

Bonnie laughed at Damon’s second failed attempt at frying bacon. She loved how he could make pancakes and scrambled eggs without a problem but managed to burn every piece of bacon he tried to fry.

"Maybe you should stop before the whole pack is done."

"I refuse to be outdone by pieces of a cow," he scowled as he waved away the smoke from his face. "I can fry bacon."

"Right. It's the stove's fault."

"It is! It's never liked me! It always works perfectly for my brother."

Stefan paused on the stairs when he heard them and went towards the kitchen. His eyebrows shot up when he saw the food, Damon cooking and he and Bonnie laughing together. He was still amazed over their freshly stocked refrigerator that Damon had personally seen to. 

"Hey, get your ass in here and fry this bacon!" Damon shot at him. Bonnie giggled as he took a seat next to her and Stefan took his place.

“You are a powerful vampire who just made perfect pancakes and these delicious scrambled eggs but you can’t fry bacon? I can’t believe that!” she laughed. “Of all the things you can do I would not have guessed you couldn’t fry bacon.”

“He could never do it when we were human. I guess him doing it as a vampire wouldn’t be any better,” Stefan grinned when Damon shot him a glare.

“Says the one who burned pasta! You think burning bacon is bad…if you can burn pasta you should be banned from the kitchen! I’m surprised Elena let you cook for her.”

“That was an accident! It only happened once,” he said hurriedly as Bonnie laughed at him. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Excuses,” Damon scoffed sitting by Bonnie and popping a grape from her plate into his mouth. “Elena has balls to let you cook anything and be willing to eat it.”

Stefan shook his head with a smile as he flipped the bacon.He was glad to see Damon finally getting his humanity back. He saw a bit of it when he was with Elena but it showed even more now with Bonnie around. As he brought the pan around and placed the perfectly brown pieces on both their plates while they smiled at each other, he thought that the witch might be the best thing that happened to his brother, better than Elena and Katherine combined.

            **xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

That same morning, Jeremy woke up to the delicious smell of breakfast coming from downstairs in the Lockwood mansion. He slipped on his boxers and one of Tyler's shirts before padding down, hoping that Mrs. Lockwood wasn't there. She was aware that they were friends, but he didn't want to explain why he was wearing her son's T-shirt.

Instead, he found Caroline and Matt sitting at the kitchen counter feeding each other fruit while Tyler slaved in the kitchen. Jeremy rolled his eyes but couldn't stop his laughter.

"I thought we had school today?"

"We do, but I thought we deserved the morning off. You're welcome," the blonde winked. She popped a strawberry into Matt's open mouth, giggling when h bit into it and juice dribbled down his chin. Jeremy shook his head before going to Tyler. He slipped his arms around his waist and pressed a kiss to the back of his head.

“And what are we making?”

“Omelets,” he said leaning back to kiss his mate’s lips. “These two were supposed to be helping me.”

"No we weren't! You invited us over for breakfast!" Matt called. "I thought that meant you were cooking for us!"

"I invited you over to eat here, but that didn't mean I was making it."

"You're crazy man," Matt snorted. "Who invites someone over to eat and tells them to make their own food?"

"Tyler," Jeremy laughed as he kissed his cheek. Tyler shooed him away and he took a seat next to Caroline. He knew this was Tyler's way of apologizing for their fight and he was going to bask in it. He was blessed that his mate hadn't lost his cooking skills when he stopped eating normal food.

When Tyler sat the four omelets in front of him, he devoured two in 10 minutes. Tyler chuckled at how fast he ate it, and Matt's failed attempt to steal some.

"This is my apology breakfast," he smirked as he grabbed the last two on the plate. "Go make your own."

"You're not going to eat all of those."

"Have you ever had his omelets? I could have these for lunch and dinner too," Jeremy laughed. "Tell Caroline to make you some!"

“Yeah right! She never cooked before, probably won’t ever now that she’s a vampire,” he sighed. “We should swap vampires for a day and Tyler can cook for me.”

“No way,” Jeremy laughed and drank from his glass of orange juice. “I’m never giving up my personal chef.”

“And now that I know you would rather have Tyler cook for you I won’t even bother trying!” Caroline huffed and turned her back to him but smiled when he wrapped his muscled arms around her and kissed her temple.

Tyler laughed and he glanced at the clock. “I guess we should go. Elena will be looking for you Jer."

He sighed, "Can't we take today off?"

"Babe, you gotta go to class so you can graduate on time."

"You mean graduate with you."

"Basically," Tyler chuckled. He stood and grabbed his hand. "I'll do that thing you like in the shower if you go to your afternoon classes."

He laughed at how fast Jeremy shot up. Tyler grinned at his laughing friends before following him upstairs.

* * *

“Hey—you okay?” Elena asked as she kissed Stefan on the cheek outside of her third period class. He nodded and took her hand as the strolled through the crowded halls of the school.

“Yeah. Damon was cooking for Bonnie this morning. I haven’t seen him laugh so much since we were human,” Stefan mused and Elena smiled gently. She knew how much Stefan loved his brother and wanted nothing more to see him gain back his humanity. If Bonnie was the one to bring that out in him then she was happy for both of them.

“I think they’re good for each other,” she stated as they walked to her locker. “After everything that happened with her mom leaving her and her grams…Bonnie deserves to be happy and I think Damon’s good for her.”

“Yeah, she’ll be happy,” he leaned against the next locker and he smiled at her. “Does it bother you? Her being with Damon after everything he’s…done.”

“I was worried that he was using her but he seems…genuine when it comes to Bonnie. Ever since Klaus’ party he’s been really looking out for her. And regardless of what Damon has done, we both know he's a good person."

He smiled at her. Elena’s ability to see the good in everyone always amazed him. It was one reason why he fell for her. Without warning he grabbed her face and kissed her gently. He pulled back and they smiled widely at each other.

“What was that for?” she asked softly as her heart pounded.

“For being you, for being amazing,” he gave her an Eskimo kiss. "I love you."

"I love you t—"

“You two make me sick.”

Elena closed her eyes in annoyance and Stefan sighed as he turned to face the owner of the voice.

“Rebekah, how can we help you?”

“I need to know where your witch is.”

“Why?” Elena asked, immediately put on edge.

“None of your business you backstabbing traitor,” she hissed.

“Well Bonnie isn’t here today,” Stefan said levelly with a blank expression. “She’s with Damon.”

“Ah of course. I forgot she was his newest toy. I'm surprised you actually let your friend go off with him, but that just proves you're the worst kind of friend a girl can have,” she gave Elena a snide glare.

"What do you want with her?" she snapped. The blonde vampire smiled mysteriously before she disappeared, leaving Stefan and Elena confused and more than a little worried.

“Call Damon,” she said as she pulled out her own phone to dial Bonnie.           

* * *

“Maybe school was a bad idea,” Caroline murmured to Jeremy as she and the human teen watched Tyler glare at Klaus, who was standing across the street watching them. “At least there’s no practice today.”

"I can't skip school because he stalks me. I won't put my life on hold for him," Jeremy sighed. He grabbed Tyler's hand and nudged his leg under the table.

"Babe, stop. He _wants_ you to get angry."

"It's working," he growled as he turned away. Jeremy could tell it was by the way Tyler's eyes were yellow around the iris.

“I’m going to settle this so he can leave us the hell alone.”

"No!" they both gasped in alarm when he stood.

"Don't you _dare_ go over there," Jeremy snapped.

"Why the hell not?"

"Because he'll _kill_ you! Our relationship only works if we're both _alive_."

“You can’t take on an Original vampire by yourself,” Caroline began in her mothering tone. “He is immortal, which means he can't die, which means you're basically walking to your death!"

"So I'm supposed to let him torment us forever?" he asked incredulously. "Fuck that! I'm not going to let that bastard come take over my town and try to take my mate too!"

"Tyler," Jeremy stressed. "You _cannot_ fight him alone. You'll die if you do, and who will protect me then?"

That seemed to get through to the hot-headed hybrid. He sat back down and forced his eyes away from Klaus.

"I'm damned if I fight him and damned if I don't," he grumbled. "I just want him to leave us the hell alone. There's nothing stopping him from killing us all right here and now and I _hate_ that he can."

"Then we will _all_ think of a plan to take him down. Even his siblings want him gone. You remember what they were going to do with me and Elena to get back at him," Jeremy soothed. "If we have the whole Original family with us then we have a better chance of killing him."

"Wait!" Caroline exclaimed in a hushed voice. "Did Bonnie ever unlink them?"

Jeremy and Tyler stared at her before they realized what she was talking about.

"No...I don't think so," Jeremy gasped. "We don't even have to kill him! All we have to do is get one of them alone."

They all turned in the direction of the picnic tables where the cheerleaders sat with the football players and stared at Rebekah among all of them.

"All we need is a weapon," Tyler murmured as the bell rang. He grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder.

"Tell everyone to meet at my house after school," he bent to kiss Jeremy's cheek before heading inside, phone in his hand. Jeremy sighed and grabbed his own bag.

"We still don't know how to kill an Original," he murmured to Caroline as they walked across the grassy campus. Caroline pulled out her phone, grinning when she saw a text from Bonnie. She flashed it to Jeremy.

"We don't...but a witch might."

* * *

Bonnie sat with the heavy dark magic spell-book in her lap as she looked up spells that could kill an Original. It was hard to concentrate, however, when Damon sat next to her, close enough to where their knees were touching. Her feelings towards the rogue vampire had been changing slowly, and ever since the night of the party she had developed somewhat of an attraction towards him. Her mind taunted it went far beyond that and she ignored it.

"What's this?" his voice washed over her cheek and she shivered. “Says you can stop a vampire’s heart, even one as powerful as an Original.”

“But it also says that if I stop the heart of an undead creature, I must also stop a living creature’s heart to settle the balance,” she read the rest of it and frowned. “That means that I would have to…kill someone.”

“Not necessarily. Alaric and Jeremy have rings that could bring them back from the dead. We could use one of them."

“What if it doesn’t work that way? If I stop Klaus’ heart he’s not coming back. That would mean that the living creature would also need to stay dead…right?”

“Don’t know,” he frowned, standing up. “It’s not like we can practice it.”

She ignored that little voice in her head that said she missed the warmth of his knee pressing into hers.

“I can’t just kill someone Damon…I don’t even think I’m strong enough for the spell. And the thought of taking someone’s life…” she shuddered. She would be no better than Klaus.

"At least with them they wouldn't be permanently dead," his voice was hard and she flinched. For a moment, she had forgotten that he had killed _a lot_ of people.

"If only we had a White Oak stake with us," he sighed heavily. "We might not have a choice in doing the spell Bonnie. The only reason any of us are still alive is because of Jeremy but he's losing his patience daily. It's better that we try this spell with a insurance policy of Gilbert rings than not at all."

She bit her lip. He was right, of course. Jeremy was the only reason they were alive, but he wouldn't be able to save them forever. That didn't stop the rest of the Originals from wanting to rip them apart. Not even Elena was safe from their vengeance.

She picked up her phone when it indicated a text. Her eyes widened when she saw Caroline's text.

"What?" Damon frowned.

"I remember from the party that Elijah wanted me to perform a spell to unlink them. And now Caroline is saying that they're still linked by Elena's blood!" she gasped excitedly. "If they're all linked together then we only need to kill one!"

"If Esther linked them, then she's probably going to kill them. What is she waiting for?” Damon mused as he went and poured himself a drink.

"Maybe she's not strong enough. Maybe she needs mom and I to help her."

Her phone rang before he could respond.

“Hello?"

“Bonnie, Esther needs our help to cast the spell to get rid of the Originals. She wants us to meet her at the old mansion in the woods.”

She looked at Damon knowing he heard, “When?”

“Now. She’s preparing the ritual.”

"I'll be there soon," she ended the call. She marched to the door but was blocked by Damon when she reached the first stair.

"What are you doing?”

“You’re not going by yourself," his eyes narrowed. "I’m coming with you.”

“Damon, the witches won’t let you into the house. They hate you, remember?”

"How could I forget?"

"I'll be fine."

“No, you won’t. Remember Klaus and his siblings?"

She smiled, “Damon, stop worrying. I’ll be fine. It’s the middle of the day. They won’t do anything.”

“Still coming with you,” he said in a sing-song voice, smirking at her. “I'm sure they won't mind letting me in if I'm escorting their beautiful ancestor to help kill evil monsters."

"They consider you an evil monster!"

"I'm charming enough to change their minds," he grinned as he opened the door. The next second he was thrown into the brick wall with hands wrapped around his throat. On reflex he grabbed them, but his head was slammed into the brick hard enough to crack it. He was vaguely aware of Bonnie screaming as he was thrown into the drink table, glass and booze flying everywhere and drenching him. Before he could be attacked again, he got to his feet and slammed into his assailant. He managed to pin them to the wall for a second before they threw him across the room. The glass in his eyes from the shattered alcohol bottles gave his attacker enough time to snap a leg off the fallen wooden table and ram it into his stomach. He yelled in pain before collapsing and fading into darkness.

His phone vibrated throughout the silent house, his voicemail taking each one of Stefan's calls.       

* * *

“He's not answering. Something's wrong,” Stefan muttered after calling and getting Damon’s snide voicemail recording for the thirteenth time. Elena gnawed at her thumbnail in worry.

“I knew something bad was going to happen,” she said worriedly. “What if they took him again like the night of the ball? And Bonnie, she’s with him right?”

“Maybe. Maybe she decided to come today and we just haven’t seen her,” Stefan tried to keep the worry from his voice but he knew Damon had called in for Bonnie today so they could look up spells to defeat the Originals.

"Hey!" Caroline appeared beside them. Elena jumped.

"Hey," she laughed nervously. The bubbly blonde's bright smile disappeared.

"What's wrong?"

Elena frowned, “What makes you think something’s wrong?”

“Because you’ve got that smile where you’re trying to show everything is just fine when it isn’t. And Stefan looks more broody than usual,” Caroline stated. “I hope you’re not mad I called in for Jeremy this morning. I thought he could use a break after this weekend.”

Elena blinked, "I didn’t even know you did that.”

The blonde flushed, “Well...Tyler was going to do it anyways so I just..." she coughed. "Anyways, what’s wrong?”

“We think Bonnie might be in trouble. She and Damon aren’t answering their phones,” Stefan sighed.

“Or maybe they’re busy," she smirked. Stefan rolled his eyes.

“Damon _always_ answers his phone. I don't call him if it's not important."

“Rebekah was looking for her this morning. Whatever she wants can’t be good,” Elena bit her lip. Caroline suppressed a sigh. They worried way too much for their ages.

“Stefan and I will check on them but I’m sure they’re fine,” she reassured her friend. “Damon wouldn’t let anything happen to her, that much I know. Oh! Tyler wants everyone to meet at his house. He wants to challenge Klaus and he wants to plan."

"Challenge him?" Stefan raised an eyebrow.

"For Jeremy. Don't ask; it's a werewolf thing," she laughed. "Let's go."   

* * *

He knew something was wrong the moment he saw his front door wide open. Damon _never_ left it open.

“Bonnie’s not here, I can’t smell or hear her,” Caroline said, worry now tingeing her voice.

“Damon?” Stefan called out and surveyed the damage of his living room. There was definitely a struggle. He made his way around the couch and stopped when he saw the older vampire out cold with the wooden leg of one of their tables sticking out from his abdomen, blood slowly pooling around him.

“Caroline, get some blood from the cellar!” Stefan called and he pulled out the makeshift stake quickly. Damon groaned in pain and coughed, blood the color of night dribbling from his mouth.

“What took you…so long?” he rasped out. “I’ve been dying here waiting for you.”

“Where’s Bonnie?” Stefan asked.

“I’m fine Stefan, thanks for asking,” he spat sarcastically. “Your concern is touching baby brother.”

Caroline appeared holding three blood bags and immediately dropped to one knee handing one out to him. He took it quickly without a thank you and began drinking. She rolled her eyes, “Did you see who attacked you?"

“No…but I know it was a vampire. And I bet they were Original,” he said between gulps. “They keep catching me off guard. I’m losing my touch.”

“I think I know who took her,” Stefan said. “Rebekah was looking for her this morning.”

“Fantastic,” Damon muttered. “She’s probably jealous…I knew she still wants me.”

“I don’t think jealousy is the problem,” Stefan murmured walking to the couch. “The spell-book is gone.”

“What?” Damon snapped throwing the empty bag into the fireplace. “What would an Original need with that?”

“They’re going to break their link,” Caroline gasped in realization, “they need Bonnie to...we need to get to Tyler’s. If we’re going to kill them we need to do it now!”

In less than a minute they were on their phones and out the door.           

* * *

“I told you, I don’t know how to break it!” Bonnie snapped to Klaus and Rebekah. She shifted uncomfortably on the leather couch, her skin un-sticking from it when she moved.

“Well then get looking!” Klaus snarled. “We don’t have all of eternity!”

“I can't do it alone! I need another witch to help—!”

“You will do this right here and now or your loved ones die, starting with your mother,” he said harshly. Her eyes widened.

"Klaus _please—!"_

"Or perhaps we'll start with Damon," he smirked. "I have wanted to kill him for so long."

“I know you and your friends are planning to stake us,” Rebekah said haughtily. Bonnie looked at her in confusion and she laughed, “I heard them at lunchtime. They're planning to kill one of us and make sure we all die."

"I...I didn’t know—!”

“Of course you didn’t! You were too busy spreading your legs for him to even notice!"

“Enough Rebekah. You can deal with your petty girl squabbles later,” Klaus said in annoyance and a hint of amusement. “Bonnie is going to figure out how to break the spell or we’ll start breaking necks.”

She bit her lip and stared at the spell-book. She had no idea if she was strong enough and what if she did it wrong?

“I believe this will motivate her,” Rebekah came around and sat on the couch holding out her phone with the screen split into two halves. Abbey, Esther and Finn were in perfect view in the old, abandoned mansion, Abbey pacing the floor as she waited for her to arrive while Esther and Finn set up the area and on the other side was a huge mansion. Tyler Lockwood’s mansion.

“The Mayor gave us all an extended invitation to her home at the ball," she grinned. “Now who should we start with first Klaus? Abbey or Damon?”

“Okay! Okay I’ll try just…just don’t…” she whimpered. No one was safe, and if the only way to ensure they lived was by doing this spell then she would. With newfound determination she grabbed the spell-book and started skimming pages, hoping against hope she could break their link before someone’s blood ended up on her hands.


	7. Chapter 7

“I swear if they so much as _touch_ her—!”

“They _won’t_. We’ll get her back Damon,” Elena soothed.

“We need to act now. If Bonnie has the power to unlink them then this could be our one chance.”

“As much as you want Klaus dead so he’ll leave Jeremy alone, I’m not about to risk Bonnie’s safety like that,” Damon snapped. “We get that you’re all territorial over your property but she doesn’t need to die because of it.”

Tyler glared at him, “I want Klaus dead so he’ll leave us _all_ alone, including Bonnie! I wouldn’t endanger her like that!”

“Because you actually care about the well-being of your friends. Please,” Damon rolled his eyes. “I haven’t forgotten what you did to Caroline. You could give two fucks about anyone else as long as your boy-toy is safe!”

“Damon,” Stefan warned. Tyler moved off the counter with tense shoulders.

“Ty,” Jeremy grabbed his arms. He shot Damon an annoyed look, “Shut-up.”

“And whose fault is it that Bonnie was even taken in the first place? You were supposed to be protecting her and now look at where she is!” he snarled. “You’re pathetic. Elena didn’t want you so you move on to her best friend. It’s a good thing she’s a witch so she won’t have to depend on your sorry ass to save her.”

Damon lunged for him with a snarl but Tyler easily grabbed him and threw him back into the counter.

“Stop it!” Elena cried. Tyler’s eyes flashed yellow as he took a step towards the fallen vampire but Jeremy blocked his path.

“Calm down!” he demanded. “Jesus Tyler, get it together!”

“Yes, Tyler. Listen to your master like a good mutt.”

“Shut the hell up Damon!” Jeremy barked over his shoulder. He forced Tyler into the counter and trapped him with his arms. Tyler growled in warning but he stood his ground.

“Calm down,” Jeremy repeated, this time with half the venom in his voice. “Damon just wants to piss you off. Don’t let his words get to you.”

Tyler’s eyes were still yellow and fixated on Damon. The elder Salvatore was giving him a taunting smirk back.

“Hey,” Jeremy grabbed his face and pressed their foreheads together, forcing Tyler to look at him. “Don’t look at him. Look at me. Focus on me Ty.”

“C’mon,” Caroline snapped in clear annoyance as she and Stefan dragged Damon from the kitchen. Elena watched them go with a heavy sigh and a shake of her head.

“We’ll be back,” Jeremy muttered as he took Tyler’s hand. He led them upstairs to his room and locked the door. Tyler sat on his bed, dropping his head into his hands.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I can’t control it sometimes.”

“I know,” he sat next to him. “Damon deserved it, but I didn’t want you to destroy your kitchen over him. Your mom would be pissed.”

“Don’t know how we’re going to explain the dent in the marble,” he chuckled. Despite the situation, Jeremy laughed too.

“We’ll think of something. I guess we can’t compel her since she’s on vervain.”

“Yeah. It’d look bad if we compelled the mayor,” he chuckled. Jeremy grabbed his hand and laced their fingers.

“We have to get one of them now,” Tyler sighed. “We need to end this with Klaus so we can be in peace.”

“I know. But we can’t just run in there and stake one of them. We’ll die before we even get close enough.”

“There has to be a way. We can’t live like this forever.”

“If this doesn’t work then we’ll find another one.”

“ _I’ll_ find another way. Klaus is mine to deal with.”

“How many times do we have to have this conversation?” Jeremy snapped as he got to his feet. “You are not strong enough to fight him yourself! He’ll kill you Tyler! I don’t care how invincible you think you are! He has over 1,000 years of experience on you!”

“I have to be the one to take him down Jeremy! He’s a werewolf and the way werewolves deal with stuff like this—!”

“I don’t care how other werewolves do it! You aren’t fighting him alone! You’re being so selfish!” Jeremy screamed. “I’m _begging_ you not to fight him alone and you keep saying that it’s the only way but it’s _not_!”

“You don’t understand,” Tyler growled. “He is trying to claim _my_ territory, he’s trying to prove that he’s the better alpha and that he can take everything I have! If I can’t stand up to him then he can take _you_ away from me!”

“I don’t _want_ Klaus! How many times do I have to say that?”

“It doesn’t matter if you want him or not! If challenges and he wins, then what you want doesn’t matter Jeremy! There’s no one else that can stop Klaus that won’t die from his fucking werewolf bites other than me! If I don’t fight the way he wants, everyone else could die and God only knows what he would do to you!”

Jeremy’s voice died when he saw how completely serious Tyler was. His eyes were full of determination, fear, anger and pain; raw pain that cut him to the core. Tyler was terrified of fighting Klaus, but he would if only to keep Jeremy out of his arms and away from danger so he could be happy.

“Ty,” he whispered as he knelt in front of him. “If we _all_ fight Klaus then we can kill him. It doesn’t have to be just you. Everyone has their lives on the line too. Everyone will help you with this.”

“I just want to show him this isn’t a fucking game. You’re my mate. You’re the only person I _want_ as my mate and I’ll die without you. He can’t just come here and play with our lives like this.”

“I agree. But that doesn’t mean you have to face him alone,” Jeremy cupped his face. “Please Tyler. For my sake if not for yours, don’t fight him alone. Because if you die, so will I.”

“What if he challenges me?”

“Then we all challenge him. It’s not forfeiting if the entire pack fights too.”

Tyler sighed and pressed their foreheads together, “Good point.”

“So you won’t fight?”

“I won’t.”

“Promise?”

“Promise,” he kissed Jeremy’s nose. The younger tipped his head up and caught his lips in a gentle kiss. Tongues met and explored. Jeremy pulled Tyler further down and Tyler held his face at an angle so he could trace all the patterns in Jeremy’s mouth. A knock on the door interrupted them.

“Guys! We’ve got a problem!”

“What?” Tyler called back to Caroline.

“Damon’s gone! He went to get Bonnie himself!”

“Fuck,” Tyler swore as he separated from Jeremy. He helped his mate to his feet and followed Caroline downstairs. She stopped abruptly and Tyler ran into her.

“What the—” he immediately cut off at seeing the dark-haired man who held Jeremy over the roof from the ball the other weekend standing in his living room. He immediately grabbed Jeremy and shoved him behind him.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he spat.

He turned in their direction, his amused grin taking over his face, “The mayor gave me an invitation into her home at the party, so I thought I’d check it out. It’s very lovely.”

“Get the fuck out of my house!” Tyler yelled angrily. “You and your family are _never_ welcome here.”

“Alas, we are welcome. Since you’re a vampire and need an invitation yourself, you can’t kick us out,” he smirked. His eyes flitted to Jeremy. “Really unfortunate that my bastard brother got an invitation. There’s nowhere safe for that one.”

Tyler growled again and gritted his teeth, his inner wolf howling at him to rip the vampire apart. He felt Jeremy grip his hands tightly to try and keep him from doing something stupid. Kol’s eyes then landed on Caroline and he looked her up and down. It made Tyler shiver in disgust.

“Caroline, is it?” he murmured, taking a step towards her. “You ran off so fast at the ball that I didn’t get a chance to speak with you; you’re absolutely stunning.”

“And she’s not interested,” Tyler snarled and he stepped in front of her. “Get the fuck out _now_.”

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll kill you and I’ll throw you out!”

“You should show a little more respect, considering I could end your life in a second,” Kol said coldly. “You don’t want to end up like your friend Damon.”

“Where is he?” Elena asked in a hard voice that covered the fear she felt. “We know he left to get Bonnie.”

“A big mistake on his part,” he laughed, “Rebekah won’t hesitate to finish him and I believe Klaus said he wanted to repay him for taking his Ripper away. That fool is going to die.”

Kol had barely finished his sentence before Stefan had his hands around Kol’s neck, the veins around his eyes prominent and black. Kol easily flung him off before he was attacked from behind by Tyler. The Original snarled before he grabbed Tyler by his shirt and swung him into Stefan, knocking them both into a table decorated with expensive home décor. He glanced between Elena, Matt, Caroline and Jeremy, smirking widely. “Who’s next?”

Caroline crouched, preparing to attack and Kol laughed, “Don’t make me scratch up that pretty face. You’re too beautiful to be fighting, Caroline.”

Stefan and Tyler were up in a flash and going for Kol again, this time attacking him from either side. Tyler nipped his arm and he hissed as he threw him to the side. He didn’t see Caroline sneaking up on him and she pulled his head to the side with one audible crack. The Original dropped to the floor, letting go of Stefan in the process. No one moved for a moment.

“You alright?” Jeremy asked Tyler as he looked him over him over. Tyler nodded, eyes never leaving the Original on his floor.

“I bit him,” he stared at the bite mark on his arm. “Do you think that will kill him?”

“Probably not. We need a White Oak stake,” Stefan stood and turned to them, “The stakes were at the boarding house but whoever took Bonnie took those with him.”

“Doesn’t Alaric have one?” Jeremy asked.

“Hopefully,” Stefan muttered as he dialed the hunter’s number.          

* * *

 Bonnie’s eyes widened when Rebekah threw open their front door, dragging something behind her.

“Look who I found trying to break into our second story!” she pulled Damon by his hair and dropped him at the witch’s feet. Bonnie winced at how terrible he looked.

“Ah, a little motivation!” Klaus clapped his hands. “Well I think you know how this works love. You don’t find the spell, we’ll kill him and so on and so on.”

“Please don’t hurt him,” she begged when he groaned and rolled onto his back. “I’ve been looking for the spell! I just don’t know which one it is!”

“Well then you best figure it out,” he sneered. Bonnie went back to flipping pages, going significantly faster than before. There were a lot of spells in this book she hadn’t even heard of in this book. What if she picked the wrong one?

“Time’s ticking love,” Klaus hauled Damon into the air by his throat. She cried out when he gurgled in the back of his throat.

“Stop it! I’m looking as fast as I can!” she cried as she flipped through the pages faster. “You promised you wouldn’t hurt him if I found it!”

“Which you have yet to do, and I’m tired of waiting,” Klaus squeezed Damon’s throat tighter. The rouge vampire spat blood into Klaus’ face and he dropped him unceremoniously.

“I really should just kill you, there’s nothing stopping me. Even your brother hasn’t seen fit to come save you this time,” he spat at him, kicking him harshly in the side. He groaned and curled in on himself.

“Stop! I found it!”

She held it up, the page showing a picture of what looked like connections in a circle connecting to the center.

“I found it,” she said breathlessly, her eyes tearing as she stared at Damon. “Don’t hurt him anymore.”

“You are pathetic,” Rebekah rolled her eyes. “Why do you allow yourself to care so much about this waste of space? He’s only using you as Elena Gilbert’s replacement.”

“You cared for him once. Remember when you thought he was actually interested in you?” she snapped back. Rebekah sneered and Klaus stood between them, laughing heartily.

“Enough with the claws Rebekah. Let her preform the spell and then you may do to her what you will,” he smirked at Bonnie. “Get to chanting witch. We don’t have all night.”

Bonnie stared at it uncertainly. Damon groaned and her head snapped in his direction.

“Don’t,” Damon rasped from the ground. “Don’t listen to him. They won’t kill her. Don’t unlink them.”

“But they’ll kill you,” she said softly. She turned back to the book and closed her eyes.

 _Forgive me_ she begged the witches on the other side as she began memorizing the incantation, hoping they would understand why she had to do this.           

* * *

 The teens quickly bound Kol in chains and hauled him into the backseat. They drove to the Gilbert home in record time. Alaric and Jenna were already outside waiting and they dragged Kol out of the car before it came to a complete stop. They laid him on the front lawn and Alaric had just brought out the stake when his eyes opened.

He hissed violently, hand reaching out to grab someone but Alaric wasted no time in shoving the stake in his chest and Kol let out a scream between a choke and a gasp; his body which had risen up halfway, suddenly burst into flames and they jumped back as he screamed. Jeremy felt nauseous as he was burned alive, but thankfully it didn’t last long. It was silent after a few moments, the only sign of the fire being the smoke that rose from the lawn.

“It’s over?” Caroline finally dared to ask.

“I can’t believe it, we got them all,” Elena breathed, her arms wrapped around Stefan.

“Hopefully,” he muttered. Something told him that this was still far from over. “Let’s see if it worked.”

Tyler turned to Jeremy and crushed him to his chest. His heart pounded at the thought of Klaus finally being gone and he and Jeremy being able to live in peace. He kissed the younger boy’s cheek and then his lips.

“I’ll be back soon, I promise.”

He hugged him again, “Please be careful.”

The hybrid nodded and kissed his nose, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he sighed.

The hybrid looked at Caroline and Stefan and the three took off the next second.           

* * *

 Upon arriving at the house did Tyler realize that Klaus being dead was too good to be true. He felt the hybrid’s presence immediately and he growled, alerting the other two.

“We were too late!” he snarled before rushing to the house, ignoring Caroline and Stefan’s calls. He broke down the door and raced into the dark hallway, coming to a halt when he saw Klaus standing in the middle of the room.

“Where are they?” he growled menacingly. Klaus only smirked before moving slightly, revealing Damon lying still on the floor, Bonnie desperately trying to wake him. Tyler sniffed again smelling blood—Bonnie’s blood—and growled again.

Caroline and Stefan appeared on either side of him. Caroline gasped at seeing her friend and rushed to help her but she was blocked by Klaus. He grinned madly at her and she stepped back, a scowl taking over her features.

“Move.”

He laughed, “Try again sweetheart. I know you can sound worse than that.”

“Why aren’t you dead like your brother?” Tyler snapped, irritation and fear taking over. “You all should have died!”

“Well I guess you have your witch to thank for that,” he stepped closer to Caroline and she stepped back unconsciously. “Seems her spell worked after all.”

“It’s okay, we’ve got one of you down, it won’t be long until we get the rest of you,” Stefan said cockily stepping forward. Klaus regarded him and laughed harshly.

“Please. Kol was a fool who deserved what he got. I’d love to see you try and defeat me. My own mother can’t even win against me since she lost one of her witches.”

Bonnie’s head shot up in surprise, “What?”

“As retribution for my brother’s murder,” he sneered at her. “One vampire dies, another joins us.”

“No!” she whispered, tears coming to her eyes at the thought of her mother now as a vampire. Though she was still angry that she had abandoned her, she was looking forward to learning magic with her and now she would never get the chance.

Tyler scowled, “There’s probably a counter-spell for that. Your mother is an ancient witch. She can find alternative ways to kill you!”

“That may be but she’s considerably weaker now and I don’t believe she’ll be killing me anytime soon since she’s disappeared again.”

“She’ll be back,” Damon rasped as he slowly got to his feet. He pulled Bonnie into one arm. “All she wants is to see your ass in one of those coffins.”

“It matters not. I’ll be long gone with my mate and my doppelganger. Tell the Gilbert’s to pack up because I’m fetching them within the hour,” Klaus said triumphantly. Tyler leaped for Klaus but Caroline blocked him with her arm.

“You’re not taking _my_ mate anywhere!” Tyler hissed furiously. Klaus gave him a wicked smirk.

“On the contrary Tyler, I’m going to take him all over the world. And you know something? He’s going to _love_ it. He’ll forget about you and this one-pony town in a couple months once he sees what the world has to offer and you will see how a boy like Jeremy deserves the finer things beyond what you can give him.”

“Jeremy can’t be bought! He’s a person who needs love and someone to understand him and you could never understand him the way I do!” he screamed back. “He’s mine for _life_ Klaus! You can’t change fate!”

“We create our own fate Tyler, as you are about to see,” he regarded them coolly. “I’ll give you an hour to say your goodbyes.”

“You aren’t taking them anywhere,” Stefan growled dangerously.

“Watch me,” Klaus hissed, his smirk never leaving his face. He glanced once more at them before he disappeared with a whoosh of wind. Damon, who was still holding a shaking Bonnie tightly to him, finally spoke.

“We need to get to the Gilbert’s _now_."


	8. Chapter 8

Jeremy, Elena and Matt jumped when the front door of the Gilbert house was thrown open. Bonnie, Damon and the others ran through, each of them looking panicked. Tyler immediately ran to Jeremy and crushed him to his chest.

“What happened?” Jeremy murmured. “Is he dead?”

“Far from it,” Stefan grabbed Elena to him. “He’s coming.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s coming to take you and Elena. He wants to leave and he wants you to go with him,” Tyler growled as he pulled Jeremy closer. His eyes flashed yellow in anger and fear.

“Ty, you’re kind of crushing me,” Jeremy shoved at his built arms but the werewolf merely picked him up and ran up the stairs two at a time, not stopping until he got to his room and slammed the door.

“Tyler what the hell?” Jeremy exclaimed when he sat him on his bed. The werewolf paced frantically.

“I can’t let him—he’s so strong but I can’t, I _refuse_ to give you away!”

“Tyler—!”

“We have to leave,” he frantically ran to Jeremy’s closet and pulled out a bag and a couple of his clothes. Jeremy stared at him in fear. He’d _never_ seen Tyler so shaken before.

“Tyler!” he grabbed his arms and he went still. “Slow down!”

The werewolf took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He wrapped his arms around Jeremy and pressed his head into his chest. Jeremy held him back tightly.

“I’m not going _anywhere_ ,” he whispered. “He won’t take me. I will fight him until I can’t anymore, okay?”

“This is a challenge Jer,” Tyler raised his head, eyes glimmering in the light of the moon illuminating Jeremy’s room. “Either I fight him and he stands down or I forfeit and he takes you.”

“Everyone will fight him, including me,” Jeremy soothed with a kiss to the forehead. “We’re not alone in this babe. I won’t let him take me and my sister away, I promise.”

They shared a passionate kiss that they each felt to the core. Jeremy pulled Tyler until he was on top of him and they were trying to gulp down as much of each other as they could.

“I won’t let him take you,” he swore softly against his neck. “I won’t let him take you away from me.”

“I know,” he breathed as he kissed him once more. “I won’t leave you.”

“I still think you should leave. Go somewhere where he can’t find you for a month or two then come back.”

“I’m _not_ leaving you,” he said firmly. “I’ll only go if you come with me.”

“I would put you in more danger.”

“I can’t be away from you that long Ty. We tried that and we barely made it.”

“I know,” he sighed, and hit his fist against the wall. “That bastard can’t just do this to us.”

“Well he is, and we need to be ready for him,” Jeremy sat up.

“I need to tell you something,” he stroked his face. “No matter what happens, no matter if he wins and he takes me or if you forfeit or whatever, I will _always_ love you. Klaus is never going to change that, no matter how hard he tries. I will _always_ find my way back to you Tyler because I’m _yours_. I will be always.”

“And forever,” he whispered before kissing hard. Jeremy inhaled sharply as they clung to each other. They poured every emotion into this kiss, every ounce of fear they held for being separated, all the love they held for each other, and the desperation to stay together.

“If I die, I want you to run as far as you can as fast as you can,” he whispered. “I’ll leave my keys on your dresser and if anything happens—”

“Don’t talk like that,” Jeremy mumbled against his lips. “He’s not taking you away from me. I won’t let him.”

They shared small kisses, Tyler murmuring I love yous against his cheek as he tried to drench Jeremy in his scent. He would be damned if Klaus came in and killed _his_ mate. He may be powerful, but Jeremy would fight for him and Tyler until the end, however certain it was.

A knock on the door interrupted their tranquil mood. Elena cracked the door.

“You guys okay?”

“Yeah,” Jeremy kissed Tyler quickly. “We just needed a…moment.”

“Everyone’s downstairs. Come down when you’re ready,” she smiled sadly. They shared an Eskimo kiss before following her.

They walked into the kitchen where Bonnie, Matt, and Jenna were gathered with cups in their hands. As soon as Jenna saw Jeremy she put her glass down and hugged him hard. Jeremy felt his heart sinking at the thought of being made to leave his aunt. He’d grown so used to her presence that he couldn’t imagine a life without her. She pulled back with glossy eyes and she hugged Tyler as well. He was slightly caught off guard but returned the embrace.

“Promise me you won’t let anything happen to him,” she whispered in his ear.

“I swear,” he said just as quietly.

She pulled back and nodded before going into the living room with Alaric and the others, wiping her eyes discretely. Tyler sighed and went to lean against the counter next to Matt as Jeremy drew Bonnie into a hug.

“Do we stand a chance?” Matt asked quietly. Tyler snorted.

“Maybe. If his siblings are against him then maybe.”

“Are you ready?”

“No,” Tyler chuckled mirthlessly. “But I know that I’m not ready to lose my mate or my life.”

He gripped the counter tightly, his stomach doing somersaults at the thought of being viciously ripped apart by Klaus.

“Guys!” Caroline cried. They ran into the living room and his blood started to boil when he saw Klaus walking from down the street. He immediately sought Jeremy and pulled him close.

“Get ready,” Stefan muttered, keeping Elena behind him.

The doorbell rang and everyone froze. Damon was the only one brave enough to open it.

“Can we help you?”

“You know what I came for,” he smirked coldly. “Now will they come willingly or will they make it difficult?”

“Go home Klaus, before we kill you.”

He laughed, “You know, one day that mouth of yours is going to get you killed. Not even your Ripper brother could save you from me.”

“But you can’t get in,” Damon smirked. “So it looks like I’ll be living a little longer.”

“Goodbye Klaus,” Stefan said next to Damon and slammed the door. He rolled his eyes.

“You just had to have the last word, didn’t you?”

“He’s doing something!” Alaric called in warning and the brothers quickly rushed back into the living room. Klaus was pacing back and forth in front of the house across the street with a white, picket fence.

“What the hell is he doing?” he mused with narrowed eyes.

There was silence, and then….

“Everyone down!” Stefan yelled and he dragged Elena down with him. Seconds later the window was shattered and glass flew everywhere. Matt had barely tugged Caroline down before part of the fence lodged itself into the wall, sticking out stiffly. Tyler threw himself on top of Jeremy and covered his head as glass shards rained down. Another crash, and another piece of the wooden fence was thrown at the house, crashing into the coffee table and another into the nightstands, knocking over pictures, plants and lamps that once stood there. Jeremy gritted his teeth as more glass and pieces of wood shattered around them. Tyler quickly rolled them out of the way when another wooden piece crashed into the floor; he dug his hands into the floor to keep his body grounded from the shaking of the house.

Damon got up and caught the next two pieces that sailed through the air and destroyed the front door. He hurled them back at Klaus but the hybrid caught and threw them back with inhuman speed. He ducked and they sailed over him and went for the kitchen, the wood colliding with the china and silverware as they crashed and broke everywhere.

“Is he pulling up the entire fence?” Caroline screamed over the ruckus of the Gilbert home being destroyed, lifting her head up. Bits of glass were stuck in her hair.

“There’s only so much of it unless he starts on the neighbor’s!” Alaric called back next to her from his place on top of Jenna. He ducked back down as another wooden beam hit the house and shook it so much it felt like it would collapse.

Suddenly all was quiet. Stefan dared to be the first to raise his head and his eyes widened as he saw Klaus walk to the porch with a large, red bucket. He poured the gasoline all over the porch and threw it on the walls of the front of the house with a large grin.

“We need to get out, now!” he said urgently as he pulled Elena up. Damon was by Bonnie’s side in a flash as he stared hard out the window at Klaus. He had lit a match and was rolling it between his fingers. Tyler felt the heat of the flames as if he was right next to them and he glared at the hybrid in apprehension and anger.

“I’ll give you one more chance to come with me willingly,” he called out tauntingly, staring directly into Jeremy’s eyes waving the fire in their direction.

Caroline gasped and grabbed Matt’s hand tightly before grabbing Tyler’s arm to prevent him from going outside. Stefan was urging everyone towards the back of the house to exit through the back door.

“C’mon, we need to move, now!”

“You make this so much more difficult than it needs to be,” Klaus said with a mock pout. A diabolical smile crossed his face as he dropped the match and leapt to the front lawn, the fire immediately spreading across the porch and catching the front of the house in seconds, looking bright and furious against the night sky as the flames rose higher and higher.

Screams erupted as everyone ran as fast as they could to the back of the house. Tyler snarled when he saw Klaus smirking at them through the flames and leapt for him. Stefan grabbed him and threw him towards the back.

“Go!”

“Move, Stefan!” he snarled.

“We’ll get him but we need to move!” he shoved Tyler out of the way just as part of the room fell in. “Go Tyler!”

Tyler’s eyes flashed yellow but he darted out the house, Stefan close behind. He found Jeremy and the others away from the house.

“Ty,” he gasped through coughs as he threw his arms around him. The werewolf buried his head into his shoulder.

“I can’t believe that bastard,” his voice was muffled as he spoke into his shoulder. “That bastard.”

“We need to get somewhere safe,” he looked around in alarm, waiting for Klaus to come out at any moment. Caroline screamed, making them all turn around, and Klaus was standing not three feet away from them.

“Run!” Bonnie cried as Stefan and Damon leapt for him. Tyler didn’t think twice about scooping Jeremy in his arms and running. He could hear footsteps behind them and he doubled his speed. After what seemed like hours of running he came to a halt in a particularly dark area, so dark that Jeremy couldn’t even make out where they were. The trees were so thick and clustered together they nearly covered the sky, the only light being the fire burning what was once his home. Tyler stayed still for a couple minutes, listening for Klaus or anyone else before he set Jeremy down lightly on his feet.

“We have to go back,” Jeremy whispered, wincing when he heard screaming. “Ty, they need us.”

“We can’t,” he whispered. “Jeremy he’ll take you.”

“What about our friends?”

“They’re holding him off! If we go back they’ll be fighting him for nothing!”

“So we’re going to let them die?” he asked incredulously. “I don’t think so. I’m going back.”

“Jeremy!” Tyler grabbed his arm when he started walking in the direction of the fire. “They aren’t defenseless! They can fight, they can protect themselves but you can’t!”

He pulled Jeremy to him and cupped his face with his cold hands, “Let me take care of you Jer. Let me protect you.”

Jeremy bit his lip uncertainly but nodded. Tyler kissed him softly and scooped him up in his arms again like a newlywed. He felt a weird sense of déjà vu, being this deep in the forest. It reminded him of the night when Klaus nearly had Tyler drain him of his blood. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and something in his gut told him they would soon be found no matter how long they kept running. Tyler could probably run to another city and Klaus would follow them.

“Tyler…I don’t like this,” he said lowly, tucking his head further into his neck.

“Me too babe,” he said just as quietly, holding the boy closer to him. His senses were tingling with anticipation and he could feel the fear rolling off his mate in waves. They continued on quietly, eyes and ears completely open for any sudden sounds, or sudden persons, they may come across, when a sudden scream in the distance and a loud snap to the far right made Tyler freeze and Jeremy’s breath hitched. The hybrid quickly stepped behind a huge tree and held Jeremy even tighter to him now, preparing to run again. The snapping noises were drawing closer with each snap and now seemed to come from every direction. Jeremy mashed his lips together hard and pressed his face hard into Tyler’s neck to suppress a whimper, his heart beating so fast and hard he wondered if it was giving them away. He felt Tyler’s lips in his hair and he squeezed his eyes shut, his hands grabbing his mate tightly as the noise drew closer and closer—

They waited for what seemed like hours but nothing happened. The noises stopped as quickly as they started and an eerie silence settled over the woods once more. Jeremy didn’t dare to open his eyes, didn’t dare to move a muscle, didn’t dare to _breathe_ as he listened for any sounds. After a few tense moments he started to breathe, albeit quietly because whatever it was seemed to be gone.

“Fuck!” Tyler cried as he quickly jumped sideways, a heavy tree falling in the spot they were just standing and the rest became a blur as he took off running faster than before, the sound of someone chasing them was certain and Jeremy _knew_ they were screwed this time.

Suddenly he found himself flying through the air out of Tyler’s arms like an explosion hit behind them and landed hard on his right shoulder. With a groan he scrambled to his hands and knees looking around for Tyler…and came face to face with Klaus.

He shouted in surprise and stumbled to his feet, moving backwards as fast as he could which resulted in him tripping over his feet. Klaus’ eyes were yellow and predatory as he followed him. Jeremy crawled backwards until he collided with a tree. He turned his head and closed his eyes as Klaus appeared inches from him. He yelped when he started breathing on his neck and he nuzzled him.

“No!” he cried as he tried to shove him away. “Get away!”

A loud snarl from behind made Klaus whip his head around. Tyler was in position to attack, his eyes the same amber color. Klaus snarled back and faced him. They circled each other, each one trying to bait the other into the first move. Jeremy heard another scream in the distance, followed by the creaking of his burning house falling apart.

Klaus decided to move first and threw himself at Tyler. The younger hybrid moved two steps before they were crashing mid-air, snarls bouncing off the trees. Tyler landed on his feet, back turned to Klaus who landed about forty feet from him before turning quickly and attacking again, catching Klaus in the arm with his elongated claws. The ancient hybrid cried out in surprise and landed on one knee. He gave a vicious battle cry before going for him again, this time catching Tyler in the throat and flinging him into a tree. The tree bent as a result of the force.

Tyler was up in seconds and lunging for Klaus again but this time the elder hybrid was ready for him. He snatched Tyler’s arm and swung him hard in a half circle, bending and breaking the bone, and Tyler went flying again into the tree Jeremy was pressed against.

Jeremy didn’t move in time as Tyler collided with the tree, going through the bark and hitting another, the first tree coming down fast and he rolled so he wouldn’t be crushed. He felt a searing pain in his leg as the tree landed on him and he cried out in pain, trying in vain to push the thick branch off him.

Klaus had bounded over to Tyler’s fallen form and was attacking before Tyler had even gotten up, the two hybrids a blurry mass as they moved from spot to spot trying to gain the upper hand. Jeremy pushed harder against the trunk and gave a cry of frustration when it didn’t budge. He gritted his teeth in pain and dug his hands into the ground trying to gain leverage and slide his leg from under the trunk but it was impossible with the heavy weight trapping his leg from his knee all the way down. He heard a wounded whimper and his heart pounded when Tyler’s body landed a few feet away from him.

“Tyler!” he screamed when he saw Klaus approaching him. “Get up Ty! Get up!”

He doubled his efforts of freedom when Tyler let out another whimper and tried to move. His desperation made the pain in his leg numb as he tried with all his might to move it. Klaus was stalking closer in predator formation, looking like a lion going in for the final kill.

“ _Leave him alone!_ ” he bellowed to Klaus. “ _You fucking bastard, don’t you dare touch him!_ ”

Klaus paused, and Jeremy screamed when he thought he was about to end Tyler’s life. He could see his life flashing before his eyes and a distressed sob bubbled from his chest. But Klaus passed his body and came to him instead. By the time Jeremy could see his face clearly his eyes had lost their amber color and his face was devoid of emotion. He stared at him for a moment before speaking.

“I am the victor of this challenge,” his voice was menacing and dark. “I challenged him for you and he lost. You now belong to me.”

“No!” Jeremy spat at him. “You don’t own me! You’ll _never_ own me Klaus!”

Klaus snarled in warning and Jeremy quickly closed his mouth, his bottom lip trembling despite his defiant face.

“If you come with me willingly, I will let him live,” he said lowly. “I told you that I could destroy Tyler just as quickly as I made him Jeremy. It is up to you whether he lives or dies now.”

Jeremy shook his head, more tears spilling down his face as he stared at his wounded lover. Tyler still hadn’t moved from his position and he wondered if he’d bled to death.

“Ty!” he shouted hoarsely as he shoved at the tree, not realizing that he was still doing so. His leg was relieved and the tree vanished as he had this last thought and for a moment, it left him dazed before the searing pain in his crushed leg snapped him back to reality. He moaned and rolled over on his stomach, intending to crawl to Tyler when a hand on said leg made him gasp out in pain. He turned a heated gaze onto Klaus but it quickly morphed into fear as he realized that nothing stood in the hybrid’s way of taking him. He didn’t know how Elena and the others were fairing or if anyone was even still alive; he hadn’t heard any screams or voices in a while and he wondered if they were just too far from everyone or if there were no survivors.

“What is your decision Jeremy?”

“I’ll go! Just me help him!” he pleaded. “Just—just let me say goodbye.”

Klaus didn’t say anything for a long moment. Then he was next to Jeremy and shoving his wrist to his mouth. Jeremy fought wildly even though he swallowed a mouthful of blood before the wrist was gone and Klaus was standing again. He looked at him in terror.

“For your leg,” he said calmly. “You have five minutes.”

He disappeared with a whoosh of air. Jeremy stood still for a moment, simply breathing to make sure that he didn’t just imagine everything that happened just now. A pained moan snapped him out of his stupor and he stood quickly, rushing to his fallen mate. He rolled Tyler onto his back and winced at the scratches, gashes and cuts all over his face; his shirt was shredded in so many places there was no hope of salvaging it, completely stained with blood and dirt and revealing the damage done to the finely-toned chest; his jeans were torn and soiled with blood and dirt and Jeremy could now see where his left leg was bent awkwardly. He suppressed a sob as he held his arm to Tyler’s mouth.

“C’mon babe. Drink,” he whispered. Tyler looked at him through deadened eyes before piercing the skin and sucking. Jeremy barely felt the pain of his fangs as he ran his fingers best he could through the matted hair, and he realized that this would be the last time he would hold Tyler. This would be the last time he saw him, or spoke to him. In the span of three hours, his entire world was ripped away from him and he couldn’t believe one man had that power.

“I’m so sorry,” Tyler whispered when he stopped. “I couldn’t beat him for you Jer. I failed you.”

“No you didn’t Tyler. You could _never_ fail me,” he sobbed into his hair. “I love you so much.”

Tyler gazed back at his, his eyes nearly lifeless from the physical pain and the knowledge that Jeremy sacrificed his happiness to save him. And now the only person who ever made him feel alive was being ripped away from him.

“I’ll find you,” he rasped. “No matter how long it takes Jeremy. I’ll get you back.”

“Don’t. Just forget about me,” he whimpered when Tyler nuzzled his neck. “It’s not worth you dying over.”

“I could never forget,” he murmured. “I’ll find you even if it takes a lifetime.”

He pulled Jeremy down and kissed him hard. He could feel his mate’s tears falling against his face and it made his own come to his eyes. In that moment, nothing existed. Nothing mattered but the two of them. They could pretend that everything was perfect, that this was just another night they spent together, loving each other and simply existing in peace without anyone to destroy them. They could pretend that this wasn’t their last kiss.

“I think you’ve said goodbye long enough,” Klaus reappeared, this time with an unconscious Elena over his shoulder. Jeremy stared murderously at him when he pulled him from the ground. He handed Elena to him before bending to Tyler’s level, wearing a malice filled smirk.

“I told you that you would lose,” he whispered. “And now you have forfeited the one thing you were afraid to lose. But don’t worry Tyler. I’ll take excellent care of him.”

“I’ll find you, and I’ll put the same White Oak stake in your heart that we killed your brother with,” Tyler vowed. “I _will_ find you Klaus.”

“I’m sure you will.”

The hybrid’s eyes dilated and Tyler felt his head get foggy.

“You forfeited your rights to Jeremy and now he is mine,” he whispered maliciously. “Sleep now Tyler, and know that you no longer mean anything to him.”

Jeremy grinded his teeth together as tears spilled faster down his face, the lumps in his throat making it burn fiercely as he watched Tyler drop his head back and close his eyes.

Jeremy, Elena and Matt jumped when the front door of the Gilbert house was thrown open. Bonnie, Damon and the others ran through, each of them looking panicked. Tyler immediately ran to Jeremy and crushed him to his chest.

"What happened?" Jeremy murmured. "Is he dead?"

"Far from it," Stefan grabbed Elena to him. "He's coming."

"What do you mean?"

"He's coming to take you and Elena. He wants to leave and he wants you to go with him," Tyler growled as he pulled Jeremy closer. His eyes flashed yellow in anger and fear.

"Ty, you're kind of crushing me," Jeremy shoved at his built arms but the werewolf merely picked him up and ran up the stairs two at a time, not stopping until he got to his room and slammed the door.

"Tyler what the hell?" Jeremy exclaimed when he sat him on his bed. The werewolf paced frantically.

"I can't let him—he's so strong but I can't, I _refuse_ to give you away!"

"Tyler—!"

"We have to leave," he frantically ran to Jeremy's closet and pulled out a bag and a couple of his clothes. Jeremy stared at him in fear. He'd _never_ seen Tyler so shaken before.

"Tyler!" he grabbed his arms and he went still. "Slow down!"

The werewolf took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He wrapped his arms around Jeremy and pressed his head into his chest. Jeremy held him back tightly.

"I'm not going _anywhere_ ," he whispered. "He won't take me. I will fight him until I can't anymore, okay?"

"This is a challenge Jer," Tyler raised his head, eyes glimmering in the light of the moon illuminating Jeremy's room. "Either I fight him and he stands down or I forfeit and he takes you."

"Everyone will fight him, including me," Jeremy soothed with a kiss to the forehead. "We're not alone in this babe. I won't let him take me and my sister away, I promise."

They shared a passionate kiss that they each felt to the core. Jeremy pulled Tyler until he was on top of him and they were trying to gulp down as much of each other as they could.

"I won't let him take you," he swore softly against his neck. "I won't let him take you away from me."

"I know," he breathed as he kissed him once more. "I won't leave you."

"I still think you should leave. Go somewhere where he can't find you for a month or two then come back."

"I'm _not_ leaving you," he said firmly. "I'll only go if you come with me."

"I would put you in more danger."

"I can't be away from you that long Ty. We tried that and we barely made it."

"I know," he sighed, and hit his fist against the wall. "That bastard can't just do this to us."

"Well he is, and we need to be ready for him," Jeremy sat up.

"I need to tell you something," he stroked his face. "No matter what happens, no matter if he wins and he takes me or if you forfeit or whatever, I will _always_ love you. Klaus is never going to change that, no matter how hard he tries. I will _always_ find my way back to you Tyler because I'm _yours_. I will be always."

"And forever," he whispered before kissing hard. Jeremy inhaled sharply as they clung to each other. They poured every emotion into this kiss, every ounce of fear they held for being separated, all the love they held for each other, and the desperation to stay together.

"If I die, I want you to run as far as you can as fast as you can," he whispered. "I'll leave my keys on your dresser and if anything happens—"

"Don't talk like that," Jeremy mumbled against his lips. "He's not taking you away from me. I won't let him."

They shared small kisses, Tyler murmuring I love yous against his cheek as he tried to drench Jeremy in his scent. He would be damned if Klaus came in and killed _his_ mate. He may be powerful, but Jeremy would fight for him and Tyler until the end, however certain it was.

A knock on the door interrupted their tranquil mood. Elena cracked the door.

"You guys okay?"

"Yeah," Jeremy kissed Tyler quickly. "We just needed a…moment."

"Everyone's downstairs. Come down when you're ready," she smiled sadly. They shared an Eskimo kiss before following her.

They walked into the kitchen where Bonnie, Matt, and Jenna were gathered with cups in their hands. As soon as Jenna saw Jeremy she put her glass down and hugged him hard. Jeremy felt his heart sinking at the thought of being made to leave his aunt. He'd grown so used to her presence that he couldn't imagine a life without her. She pulled back with glossy eyes and she hugged Tyler as well. He was slightly caught off guard but returned the embrace.

"Promise me you won't let anything happen to him," she whispered in his ear.

"I swear," he said just as quietly.

She pulled back and nodded before going into the living room with Alaric and the others, wiping her eyes discretely. Tyler sighed and went to lean against the counter next to Matt as Jeremy drew Bonnie into a hug.

"Do we stand a chance?" Matt asked quietly. Tyler snorted.

"Maybe. If his siblings are against him then maybe."

"Are you ready?"

"No," Tyler chuckled mirthlessly. "But I know that I'm not ready to lose my mate or my life."

He gripped the counter tightly, his stomach doing somersaults at the thought of being viciously ripped apart by Klaus.

"Guys!" Caroline cried. They ran into the living room and his blood started to boil when he saw Klaus walking from down the street. He immediately sought Jeremy and pulled him close.

"Get ready," Stefan muttered, keeping Elena behind him.

The doorbell rang and everyone froze. Damon was the only one brave enough to open it.

"Can we help you?"

"You know what I came for," he smirked coldly. "Now will they come willingly or will they make it difficult?"

"Go home Klaus, before we kill you."

He laughed, "You know, one day that mouth of yours is going to get you killed. Not even your Ripper brother could save you from me."

"But you can't get in," Damon smirked. "So it looks like I'll be living a little longer."

"Goodbye Klaus," Stefan said next to Damon and slammed the door. He rolled his eyes.

"You just had to have the last word, didn't you?"

"He's doing something!" Alaric called in warning and the brothers quickly rushed back into the living room. Klaus was pacing back and forth in front of the house across the street with a white, picket fence.

"What the hell is he doing?" he mused with narrowed eyes.

There was silence, and then….

"Everyone down!" Stefan yelled and he dragged Elena down with him. Seconds later the window was shattered and glass flew everywhere. Matt had barely tugged Caroline down before part of the fence lodged itself into the wall, sticking out stiffly. Tyler threw himself on top of Jeremy and covered his head as glass shards rained down. Another crash, and another piece of the wooden fence was thrown at the house, crashing into the coffee table and another into the nightstands, knocking over pictures, plants and lamps that once stood there. Jeremy gritted his teeth as more glass and pieces of wood shattered around them. Tyler quickly rolled them out of the way when another wooden piece crashed into the floor; he dug his hands into the floor to keep his body grounded from the shaking of the house.

Damon got up and caught the next two pieces that sailed through the air and destroyed the front door. He hurled them back at Klaus but the hybrid caught and threw them back with inhuman speed. He ducked and they sailed over him and went for the kitchen, the wood colliding with the china and silverware as they crashed and broke everywhere.

"Is he pulling up the entire fence?" Caroline screamed over the ruckus of the Gilbert home being destroyed, lifting her head up. Bits of glass were stuck in her hair.

"There's only so much of it unless he starts on the neighbor's!" Alaric called back next to her from his place on top of Jenna. He ducked back down as another wooden beam hit the house and shook it so much it felt like it would collapse.

Suddenly all was quiet. Stefan dared to be the first to raise his head and his eyes widened as he saw Klaus walk to the porch with a large, red bucket. He poured the gasoline all over the porch and threw it on the walls of the front of the house with a large grin.

"We need to get out, now!" he said urgently as he pulled Elena up. Damon was by Bonnie's side in a flash as he stared hard out the window at Klaus. He had lit a match and was rolling it between his fingers. Tyler felt the heat of the flames as if he was right next to them and he glared at the hybrid in apprehension and anger.

"I'll give you one more chance to come with me willingly," he called out tauntingly, staring directly into Jeremy's eyes waving the fire in their direction.

Caroline gasped and grabbed Matt's hand tightly before grabbing Tyler's arm to prevent him from going outside. Stefan was urging everyone towards the back of the house to exit through the back door.

"C'mon, we need to move, now!"

"You make this so much more difficult than it needs to be," Klaus said with a mock pout. A diabolical smile crossed his face as he dropped  
the match and leapt to the front lawn, the fire immediately spreading across the porch and catching the front of the house in seconds, looking bright and furious against the night sky as the flames rose higher and higher.

Screams erupted as everyone ran as fast as they could to the back of the house. Tyler snarled when he saw Klaus smirking at them through the flames and leapt for him. Stefan grabbed him and threw him towards the back.

"Go!"

"Move, Stefan!" he snarled.

"We'll get him but we need to move!" he shoved Tyler out of the way just as part of the roof fell in. "Go Tyler!"

Tyler's eyes flashed yellow but he darted out the house, Stefan close behind. He found Jeremy and the others away from the house.

"Ty," he gasped through coughs as he threw his arms around him. The werewolf buried his head into his shoulder.

"I can't believe that bastard," his voice was muffled as he spoke into his shoulder.

"We need to get somewhere safe," he looked around in alarm, waiting for Klaus to come out at any moment. Caroline screamed, making them all turn around, and Klaus was standing not ten feet away from them.

"Run!" Bonnie cried as Stefan and Damon leapt for him. Tyler didn't think twice about scooping Jeremy in his arms and running. He could hear footsteps behind them and he doubled his speed. After what seemed like hours of running he came to a halt in a particularly dark area, so dark that Jeremy couldn't even make out where they were. The trees were so thick and clustered together they nearly covered the sky, the only light being the fire burning what was once his home. Tyler stayed still for a couple minutes, listening for Klaus or anyone else before he set Jeremy down lightly on his feet.

"We have to go back," Jeremy whispered, wincing when he heard screaming. "Ty, they need us."

"We can't," he whispered. "Jeremy he'll take you."

"What about our friends?"

"They're holding him off! If we go back they'll be fighting him for nothing!"

"So we're going to let them die?" he asked incredulously. "I don't think so. I'm going back."

"Jeremy!" Tyler grabbed his arm when he started walking in the direction of the fire. "They aren't defenseless! They can fight, they can protect themselves but you can't!"

He pulled Jeremy to him and cupped his face with his cold hands, "Let me take care of you Jer. Let me protect you."

Jeremy bit his lip uncertainly but nodded. Tyler kissed him softly and scooped him up in his arms again like a newlywed. He felt a weird sense of déjà vu, being this deep in the forest. It reminded him of the night when Klaus nearly had Tyler drain him of his blood. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and something in his gut told him they would soon be found no matter how long they kept running. Tyler could probably run to another city and Klaus would follow them.

"Tyler…I don't like this," he said lowly, tucking his head further into his neck.

"Me neither babe," he said just as quietly, holding the boy closer to him. His senses were tingling with anticipation and he could feel the fear rolling off his mate in waves. They continued on quietly, eyes and ears completely open for any sudden sounds, or sudden persons, they may come across, when a sudden scream in the distance and a loud snap to the far right made Tyler freeze and Jeremy's breath hitched. The hybrid quickly stepped behind a huge tree and held Jeremy even tighter to him now, preparing to run again. The snapping noises were drawing closer with each snap and now seemed to come from every direction. Jeremy mashed his lips together hard and pressed his face hard into Tyler's neck to suppress a whimper, his heart beating so fast and hard he wondered if it was giving them away. He felt Tyler's lips in his hair and he squeezed his eyes shut, his hands grabbing his mate tightly as the noise drew closer and closer—

They waited for what seemed like hours but nothing happened. The noises stopped as quickly as they started and an eerie silence settled over the woods once more. Jeremy didn't dare to open his eyes, didn't dare to move a muscle, didn't dare to _breathe_ as he listened for any sounds. After a few tense moments he started to breathe, albeit quietly because whatever it was seemed to be gone.

"Fuck!" Tyler cried as he quickly jumped sideways, a heavy tree falling in the spot they were just standing and the rest became a blur as he took off running faster than before, the sound of someone chasing them was certain and Jeremy _knew_ they were screwed this time.

Suddenly he found himself flying through the air out of Tyler's arms like an explosion hit behind them and landed hard on his right shoulder. With a groan he scrambled to his hands and knees looking around for Tyler…and came face to face with Klaus.

He shouted in surprise and stumbled to his feet, moving backwards as fast as he could which resulted in him tripping over his feet. Klaus' eyes were yellow and predatory as he followed him. Jeremy crawled backwards until he collided with a tree. He turned his head and closed his eyes as Klaus appeared inches from him. He yelped when he started breathing on his neck and he nuzzled him.

"No!" he cried as he tried to shove him away. "Get away!"

A loud snarl from behind made Klaus whip his head around. Tyler was in position to attack, his eyes the same amber color. Klaus snarled back and faced him. They circled each other, each one trying to bait the other into the first move. Jeremy heard another scream in the distance, followed by the creaking of his burning house falling apart.

Klaus decided to move first and threw himself at Tyler. The younger hybrid moved two steps before they were crashing mid-air, snarls bouncing off the trees. Tyler landed on his feet, back turned to Klaus who landed about forty feet from him before turning quickly and attacking again, catching Klaus in the arm with his elongated claws. The ancient hybrid cried out in surprise and landed on one knee. He gave a vicious battle cry before going for him again, this time catching Tyler in the throat and flinging him into a tree. The tree bent as a result of the force.

Tyler was up in seconds and lunging for Klaus again but this time the elder hybrid was ready for him. He snatched Tyler's arm and swung him hard in a half circle, bending and breaking the bone, and Tyler went flying again into the tree Jeremy was pressed against.

Jeremy didn't move in time as Tyler collided with the tree, going through the bark and hitting another, the first tree coming down fast and he rolled so he wouldn't be crushed. He felt a searing pain in his leg as the tree landed on him and he cried out in pain, trying in vain to push the thick branch off him.

Klaus had bounded over to Tyler's fallen form and was attacking before Tyler had even gotten up, the two hybrids a blurry mass as they moved from spot to spot trying to gain the upper hand. Jeremy pushed harder against the trunk and gave a cry of frustration when it didn't budge. He gritted his teeth in pain and dug his hands into the ground trying to gain leverage and slide his leg from under the trunk but it was impossible with the heavy weight trapping his leg from his knee all the way down. He heard a wounded whimper and his heart pounded when Tyler's body landed a few feet away from him.

"Tyler!" he screamed when he saw Klaus approaching him. "Get up Ty! Get up!"

He doubled his efforts of freedom when Tyler let out another whimper and tried to move. His desperation made the pain in his leg numb as he tried with all his might to move it. Klaus was stalking closer in predator formation, looking like a lion going in for the final kill.

" _Leave him alone!_ " he bellowed to Klaus. " _You fucking bastard, don't you dare touch him!_ "

Klaus paused, and Jeremy screamed when he thought he was about to end Tyler's life. He could see his life flashing before his eyes and a distressed sob bubbled from his chest. But Klaus passed his body and came to him instead. By the time Jeremy could see his face clearly his eyes had lost their amber color and his face was devoid of emotion. He stared at him for a moment before speaking.

"I am the victor of this challenge," his voice was menacing and dark. "You now belong to me."

"No!" Jeremy spat at him. "You don't own me! You'll _never_ own me Klaus!"

Klaus snarled in warning and Jeremy quickly closed his mouth, his bottom lip trembling despite his defiant face.

"If you come with me willingly, I will let him live," he said lowly. "I told you that I could destroy Tyler just as quickly as I made him Jeremy. It is up to you whether he lives or dies now."

Jeremy shook his head, more tears spilling down his face as he stared at his wounded lover. Tyler still hadn't moved from his position and he wondered if he'd bled to death.

"Ty!" he shouted hoarsely as he shoved at the tree, not realizing that he was still doing so. His leg was relieved and the tree vanished as he had this last thought and for a moment, it left him dazed before the searing pain in his crushed leg snapped him back to reality. He moaned and rolled over on his stomach, intending to crawl to Tyler when a hand on said leg made him gasp out in pain. He turned a heated gaze onto Klaus but it quickly morphed into fear as he realized that nothing stood in the hybrid's way of taking him. He didn't know how Elena and the others were fairing or if anyone was even still alive; he hadn't heard any screams or voices in a while and he wondered if they were just too far from everyone or if there were no survivors.

"What is your decision Jeremy?"

"I'll go! Just me help him!" he pleaded. "Just—just let me say goodbye."

Klaus didn't say anything for a long moment. Then he was next to Jeremy and shoving his wrist to his mouth. Jeremy fought wildly even though he swallowed a mouthful of blood before the wrist was gone and Klaus was standing again. He looked at him in terror.

"For your leg," he said calmly. "You have five minutes."

He disappeared with a whoosh of air. Jeremy stood still for a moment, simply breathing to make sure that he didn't just imagine everything that happened just now. A pained moan snapped him out of his stupor and he stood quickly, rushing to his fallen mate. He rolled Tyler onto his back and winced at the scratches, gashes and cuts all over his face; his shirt was shredded in so many places there was no hope of salvaging it, completely stained with blood and dirt and revealing the damage done to the finely-toned chest; his jeans were torn and soiled with blood and dirt and Jeremy could now see where his left leg was bent awkwardly. He suppressed a sob as he held his arm to Tyler's mouth.

"C'mon babe. Drink," he whispered. Tyler looked at him through deadened eyes before piercing the skin and sucking. Jeremy barely felt the pain of his fangs as he ran his fingers best he could through the matted hair, and he realized that this would be the last time he would hold Tyler. This would be the last time he saw him, or spoke to him. In the span of three hours, his entire world was ripped away from him and he couldn't believe one man had that power.

"I'm so sorry," Tyler whispered when he stopped. "I couldn't beat him for you Jer. I failed you."

"No you didn't Tyler. You could _never_ fail me," he sobbed into his hair. "I love you so much."

Tyler gazed back at his, his eyes nearly lifeless from the physical pain and the knowledge that Jeremy sacrificed his happiness to save him. And now the only person who ever made him feel alive was being ripped away from him.

"I'll find you," he rasped. "No matter how long it takes Jeremy. I'll get you back."

"Don't. Just forget about me," he whimpered when Tyler nuzzled his neck. "It's not worth you dying over."

"I could never forget," he murmured. "I'll find you even if it takes a lifetime."

He pulled Jeremy down and kissed him hard. He could feel his mate's tears falling against his face and it made his own come to his eyes. In that moment, nothing existed. Nothing mattered but the two of them. They could pretend that everything was perfect, that this was just another night they spent together, loving each other and simply existing in peace without anyone to destroy them. They could pretend that this wasn't their last kiss.

"I think you've said goodbye long enough," Klaus reappeared, this time with an unconscious Elena over his shoulder. Jeremy stared murderously at him when he pulled him from the ground. He handed Elena to him before bending to Tyler's level, wearing a malice filled smirk.

"I told you that you would lose," he whispered. "And now you have forfeited the one thing you were afraid to give up. But don't worry Tyler. I'll take excellent care of him."

"I'll find you, and I'll put the same White Oak stake in your heart that killed your brother," Tyler vowed. "I _will_ find you Klaus."

"I'm sure you will."

The hybrid's eyes dilated and Tyler felt his head get foggy.

"You forfeited your rights to Jeremy and now he is mine," he whispered maliciously. "Sleep now Tyler, and know that you no longer mean anything to him."

Jeremy grinded his teeth together as tears spilled faster down his face, the lumps in his throat making it burn fiercely as he watched Tyler drop his head back and close his eyes.


	9. Intermission

He felt like he was dying from the inside out. Some days were better than others but he was nowhere near the person he used to be. He spent most of his time in bed, on _his_ side of the bed, inhaling and bathing himself in his scent so much it started to wear off. He didn’t know what he would do when it disappeared altogether.

The last time he’d been outside was when they put Jenna in the ground. Rebekah had gotten to her before anyone could stop her. His eyes burned fiercely that day, from the sun and for the kind woman who shouldn’t have been mixed up in any of this. The most innocent player in this twisted game had been the first to lose. He wondered if they knew.

He couldn’t remember the last time he _didn’t_ cry. He had awakened three days later as instructed and when he realized Jeremy was gone he called out for him and sobbed in Caroline’s arms for hours. After that there were no more cries or anguished screams. He no longer had the energy. There was just water flowing down his face like steady tributaries. His pillow was soaked in no time and was only changed because of Caroline and Stefan forcing him to move.

The Salvatores, surprisingly, became a permanent at his house. They, along with everyone else had moved in to keep him from commiting suicide, but he didn’t even have the strength to _think_ of a plan, much less follow through with it. People were in and out of his house daily but he hardly paid attention to them. Stefan and Damon were preparing to hunt Klaus down; Bonnie was busy learning all the ways she could stop an Original vampire without the aid of her mother or Esther; Caroline and Matt were preparing the stories they would give the school and the council; Alaric doing everything he could to help on days when his grief hadn’t completely crippled him.

At night he dreamed about him. Every memory, every kiss, every hug, every smile haunted him. He thought he would go mad. Sometimes he believed he already was. More often than not he believed he died and this was his personal hell. He could feel his heart beginning to die and he welcomed it. He didn’t want to feel anything but numb from this consuming pain that took over his life through the course of a week and a half.

He remembered he made a promise, one he definitely did not keep. But how could he? Most days he barely had the strength to breathe. He had lost all sense of time and space, all notion of what was then and what was now. He was nothing but a shell; an empty, lifeless shell.

One night he dreamed that he was in his arms again, in the field where they often went to escape the world and enjoy each other. He looked the same; big, brown eyes; soft hair; beautiful smile so clear that it made his heart skip a beat. He held him, looking towards the clear, blue sky while clouds rolled by aimlessly, a slight breeze musing his already frazzled hair.

“Tyler,” he whispered gently. His mouth curled into a smile and he tugged him closer, breathing in his scent that was so unique it drove him wild.

“Save me,” he whispered.

He looked up, “You’re right here.”

“Not for long,” he said sitting up. He shook his head slightly, hair falling into place before standing. He sat up as well, confusion taking hold of his features.

“Jer, what—?”

“Save me,” he whispered again, his image starting to fade. He scrambled up, trying to catch him, to hold onto him longer.

“Wait!” he cried. “Don’t leave me!”

“I’ll always wait for you Tyler, so come get me.”

The dream faded and he was shot back to reality. For the first time in almost two weeks he sat up and took a look at his spotless room. He was breathing harshly, the dream shaking him to the core and suddenly he was filled with energy and resolve. Jeremy needed him and he wouldn’t let him down again.

He got up without much effort, determination overriding his previous misery and hopped in the shower. He changed into different clothes, throwing the sweats he’d worn for the past few days on the floor. He walked down stairs slowly, getting his legs back into motion and he stopped in the living room. Everyone was looking at him, surprise and relief flooding their faces.

He looked at all of them and the corners of his mouth upturned briefly before the determination was back on his.

“When do we leave?”


	10. Chapter 10

“So it’s like he’s depressed except ten times worse?”

“Try 100 times worse. Werewolves that have gone through this have said it feels like there’s endless pain weighing your body down, like you can’t breathe and you can hardly think about anything other than that pain and the fact that the one person you chose to devote your life to is gone. When werewolves are separated from their mates by force, their bonds become weaker.”

“That’s horrible! How could Klaus do this?” Caroline asked sadly. “He _had_ to have known what would happen to them if he took Jeremy away!”

“Could the bond actually…break?” Matt reached over Bonnie and grabbed a couple fries.

“Yeah,” she flipped through more pages. “Says here if they’re separated for long enough the bond can weaken enough to sever, but distance alone won’t break it completely. Depending on how strong the bond was to begin with could also affect the amount of time it takes.”

“But werewolf bonds are usually strong, right?”

“Right. But every day they aren’t around each other, that bond grows weaker. Both the werewolf and their mate, human or another werewolf, will feel empty, like they’ve lost their purpose in life. Sometimes it overwhelms them and they take their own lives, others just stop functioning and wait for death. With human mates, they will have severe depression, and that usually can end in death too. Only a couple have been able to pull themselves out of it.”

She closed the book and sighed with a shake of her head, “This has only happened a few times in history. Werewolves have an understanding among each other when it comes to mates. Bonding with someone is the greatest expression of love a werewolf can give, and others understand that this process is sacred and blessed by nature. To break such a bond is like trying to be God.”

“Why the hell didn’t Klaus get the memo?” Caroline grumbled. “It’s like he has no soul at all.”

“He doesn’t. That’s why he could take them without even feeling empathy for what will happen to someone of his species.”         

“Tyler seems fine now,” Matt muttered. “He was planning with Damon and Stefan yesterday.”

“The symptoms have passed for now, but they’ll come back. He’s always going to be in pain and agony until we get Jeremy back. It’s a slow process, but he could go crazy if we don’t find him.”

“What about Jeremy?”

“His symptoms could be more or less the same. He could be over it, but probably not know who he and Tyler are.”

“This is _the_ worst,” Caroline sighed. “Seriously, I hope Klaus gets what’s coming to him. For every life he’s taken and every werewolf bond he may or may not have broken…he just _can’t_ get away with it.”

“If the myths are true, then he will be damned in this world and on The Other Side since they have committed a crime that creates literal unbalance. Werewolves and their mates are one soul shared by two people. Splitting them apart is instant damnation.”

“Maybe someone up there will just smite him with a thunderbolt and then deliver Elena and Jeremy back to Mystic Falls,” Matt sighed. The girls cracked a smile despite the situation.

“I think we’ve almost found them. I just need to practice the locater spell more. It’s just hard since…” she trailed off and the others nodded sympathetically. When Abby Bennett realized that she had lost her magic and was immortal, she had fled Mystic Falls without a word to anyone, including her daughter.

“I just hope they can all hang on, including Tyler,” Caroline said sadly. “Jeremy is his whole world, and it’ll break him if something happens to him.”

“Hopefully we find them before it’s too late,” Bonnie said morosely. The three simultaneously turned to watch people playing pool, each lost in their own thoughts.          

* * *

 

“We know the first thing he’s going to do is find a werewolf clan he can change and control,” Stefan said the next day as he paced back and forth in his living room. He paused and turned to Tyler. “Are there any clans close to here?”

“The one I was staying with,” Tyler said instantly, cringing as he thought of all of them coming under Klaus’ control. “They live in the woods to hide from vampires. If they sensed Klaus was coming they would have went into hiding.”

“So we just need to find them and we find Klaus?” Caroline piped up.

“That’s the best we have since they all disappeared,” Stefan sighed, referring to Klaus’ siblings whom all scattered after they were unlinked. “When Bonnie learns that tracking spell we should be able to get a better lead.”

“But the spell requires two witches, which we no longer have,” Damon pointed out.

“I’ve been getting the hang of it,” Bonnie interjected, shooting a glare in Damon’s direction. “It’s hard and requires twice as much of my magic but I think I’ll be able to manage it.”

Tyler sighed as buried his fingers in his hair in frustration. He missed Jeremy so much he could barely think straight. With each passing day they were unwillingly apart, their bond was growing weaker and the ache in his chest was growing stronger. He wondered if Jeremy had started feeling it too.

“The shirt is still good, right?” he asked tiredly. Bonnie gave him a sympathetic smile and a nod.

“Abby could still help with the spell. She may not be a witch anymore but that doesn’t mean she’s forgotten everything she’s learned,” Damon suggested.

“I’ve been calling her for days. I don’t think she wants to see anyone,” Bonnie sighed in frustration. “I almost have it down, just give me some time.”

“In the mean time we can find that hybrid clan you stayed with and ask them to help us,” Caroline wrapped her arm around Tyler’s shoulder. “See? There’s still hope Ty.”

Tyler snorted and looked away. The pain in his chest came back with a vengeance and he wondered if he was feeling some of Jeremy’s pain through their bond. Or maybe he was just losing his mind. But he could always feel what Jeremy was feeling or know when he was scared or in danger, so it didn’t seem so far-fetched.

The front door opened snapping him out of his dark thoughts as Matt ran in, panting breathlessly.

“What’s wrong?” Bonnie asked worriedly.

“I…I just talked to Rebekah at The Grill—”

“Why the hell is that bitch still here?” Tyler roared shooting to his feet with a murderous expression. Matt jumped taken aback by this sudden display of hostility.

“Tyler,” Caroline said sternly. “Calm down.”

“She killed Jenna!”

“And we’ll pay her back for it,” Damon rolled his eyes. “Can you let him speak please?”

Tyler threw him a heated glare as Caroline tugged him back down.

“Sorry,” he muttered to the blonde boy and he smiled in understanding before continuing.

“She said that Klaus plans to find werewolf clans so he’ll most likely be in the woods. I was surprised she even told me that much.”

“She’s bitter. Klaus chose hybrids over their family,” Stefan muttered, standing. “Did she way which direction?”

“East. She said he told her about a hybrid clan somewhere near here that he turned when he first discovered that Elena’s blood is the reason they live.”

Tyler stood rapidly with a sinking heart, “That’s the pack I stayed with. We need to find them."           

* * *

The dull pain in his chest wouldn’t subside. He felt that it would swallow him from the inside out and then he thought he might be okay with that. After nearly two weeks of being away from Tyler, Jeremy thought he would lose what little sanity he had left. The only reason he held on for as long as he had was Elena.

He sat up gasping for breath as the pain went deeper into his chest. These were the times he thought that death would be merciful. He knew it was the effects of being forcefully separated from his mate and he hated Klaus all the more for it. This pain he felt was almost surreal.

His hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Klaus thought he was cold and had forced him into the tent of one of the werewolves with a thick blanket but it did little to stop the shivering. For the third time that day, tears started falling from his eyes. He didn’t bother wiping them away as he tried to breathe in. The pain in his chest ached considerably and he felt his heart clench for his efforts. He saw someone at the other end of the tent and his heart pounded when he saw Tyler’s questioning eyes looking back at him.

“Ty,” he croaked as he reached for the tent door. “Ty please, help me, please,”

“Jer,” someone shook him. His eyes closed and when he opened them again, he was staring at his sister.

“What’s wrong?” she asked softly.

“I can’t breathe Elena,” he grabbed her arm tightly. “I can’t do this anymore. I _can’t breathe_.”

“I know,” she soothed as she pulled his heavy body into his arms. “We’ll figure out something Jer. If Klaus has a heart he’ll let you go back.”

“We both know he won’t. I’ll never see him again,” he whispered, one tear trailing over the bridge of his nose.

“Don’t say that. We _will_ ,” she said fiercely. “They’re looking for us right now Jer. They’ll find us. They have to.”

Klaus barged into the tent and knelt next to him. When he put the back of his hand against his face, Jeremy flinched.

“He’s dying!” Elena snapped. “You have to let him go back to Tyler, please!”

“Neither of you are returning to Mystic Falls,” he snapped in return as he stood. “This will pass in a couple of days.”

When he left, Jeremy buried his face into his blanket and sobbed Tyler’s name brokenly. Elena felt tears burning in her eyes as she comforted him the best she could.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Tyler gripped the bathroom sink tightly as tears fell from his eyes. It started out of nowhere, and now he felt ready to tear his bathroom apart. This had to be a combination of what he and Jeremy were both feeling, and he _hated_ that he couldn’t help him wherever he was.

“Jer,” he grunted when another wave of pain washed over him. “Jeremy, Jeremy, Jeremy….”

He chanted his name until the pain subsided. Staring at himself in the mirror, he wiped his tears away and went back into the living room.

* * *

 When Jeremy woke up the next morning he felt better than he did last night. The shaking had stopped and the pain was only lingering just above the surface. He wasn’t a fool. He knew that Klaus wasn’t going to let him go back. He knew that he and Elena were stuck with Klaus until someone helped them and even then it wasn’t likely they would get away long enough before he found them again.

He quietly made his way to the opening of the tent, careful not to disturb Elena and climbed out. It was just past daybreak and a few of the werewolves that hadn’t fled when they arrived were scattered around the campsite. He wished that there was at least _one_ person not devoted to Klaus to help them.

“I see you’re feeling better.”

Jeremy jumped when he heard Klaus behind him. He threw him a hateful glare before stomping off into the forest. He couldn’t _stand_ how calm and collected Klaus was when he felt between killing someone and killing himself. He threw himself by a tree and buried his head in his hands as tears burned his eyelids.

This was probably the worst thing to ever happen to him. Even when Damon killed him, it had been quick and easy but what Klaus was doing to him was torture. He thought of Tyler again and let out a small sob. _God_ , he couldn’t even think about him without crying.

 _Help me_ , he pleaded to his smiling face. _Tyler please, help me please help me please._

He pressed his palms to his eyes hard and left them there as he tried to get himself under control. If he was going to get him and Elena out of this alive, then he needed to keep a clear head. Klaus would do everything to break him and he couldn’t allow that to happen.

After an hour, he felt a little better and he removed his hands when he didn’t feel like crying. He walked back to camp slowly, trying to smother the feeling of dread he felt at seeing Klaus when said hybrid blocked his path. Jeremy jumped and cursed him for catching him off guard.

“Take a walk with me,” he said in a light tone, the opposite of what Jeremy felt.

“No thank you,” he snapped in return. He tried to move around him but Klaus stopped him.

“That wasn’t a question,” he said warningly. Jeremy protested when Klaus securely grabbed his arm and dragged him through camp and a little ways away to a cliff that looked over a stream. He sat on a boulder that was close to the edge and Jeremy got the insane idea to push him over.

“What do you want?” Jeremy sighed warily. Just looking at Klaus exhausted him.

“There’s no need to be so down. Tyler has probably forgotten all about your tryst, and buried it within some girl in the process,” Klaus grinned. Jeremy glared at him.

“You don’t _just forget_ what we have. There is no _forgetting_ Klaus, there’s only pain and suffering until I find my way back to him.”

“What you _had_ ,” Klaus corrected. “You and Tyler are no longer. He lost our challenge and he forfeited—”

“I’m not a prize!” he screamed. “I’m not a trophy Klaus! I mean something to Tyler! He fought you for me because I _mean_ something to him! That had nothing to do with his pride!”

“If you meant so much, he would have won.”

Jeremy seethed, wanting nothing more than to wring his neck.

“I know you think I’m horrible and cruel and I am. But that is how the world works Jeremy. You have to be strong and stand for what you want and believe in. The weak only get pushed to the side and die without anything.”

“He’s _not_ weak. He’s not as strong as you but he’s not weak,” Jeremy hissed. “Tyler has been through a lot of shit. He’s not as weak as you think he is.”

“Oh yes. His abusive father,” Klaus clicked his tongue against his teeth. “No offense love, but Tyler’s father was not the worst thing in the world. A lot of others have been through much worse, myself included.”

“You brought that upon yourself,” Jeremy snarled. “You’re a terrible person, and whatever harm or grief has happened to you, you’ve earned it Klaus. I don’t believe for a second that you’ve _ever_ been a victim, not when you’re always the predator.”

“Like you would know,” Klaus snapped as he rose to his feet. “You should be a little more grateful that I let Tyler live. By werewolf law, I should have killed him since he did challenge me to the death. If you want to be angry with someone Jeremy, perhaps you should start with him.”

“So I should be grateful to you for nearly killing me, my boyfriend, my family and my friends and angry with him because he tried to save me,” Jeremy scoffed. “Sometimes I wonder if you’re just really arrogant or really stupid.”

He was a little more than surprised when he found himself on the ground, Klaus’ hand tight around his throat and a fire in his cold, blue eyes.

“Watch your tone,” he snarled at him. Jeremy glared back with equal fire, resisting the urge to spit in his face lest he enrage him more. Klaus eased up a little and smirked.

“Unless you want the rest of your friends to end up like your aunt.”

“What are you talking about?” Jeremy snapped.

“Ah that’s right! You left so fast you missed the show,” he stood, smirk never leaving his face. “That’s what Tyler gets for running like a coward.”

“What’d you do to her?” Jeremy’s voice shook as he sat up, eyes never leaving Klaus’ face.”

“Rebekah was hungry,” he laughed. “You should have seen the look on her face as she realized that not even her vampire hunting boyfriend could stop her death.”

Jeremy went numb.

 _No, no not Jenna! Anyone but Jenna_ , his mind seemed to scream at him but deep down, by the look on Klaus’ face, he knew he was speaking the truth.

“You’re lying,” he whispered as he scrambled to his feet, shaking from head to toe as he backed away from the hybrid on unsteady feet. Klaus’ expression changed for a minute to something that looked like pity before it was replaced by the smirk again.

“Perhaps if you and Tyler had stayed, she would be alive,” he suggested insincerely. “But you cared too much about saving each other to worry about anyone else. I guess true love really does conquer all.”

Jeremy barely heard him over the pounding of his own heart. He glanced at Klaus through hazy asked and asked, “How could you? She was…she’s never done anything to you!”

“She kept you from me,” Klaus said simply. “I told you your friends would suffer if you didn’t obey my commands. Be happy it wasn’t Tyler.”

Jeremy stared at him, wondering how someone could be so heartless. He couldn’t stop the tears then and he ran past Klaus with a muffled sob back to camp.

* * *

 “They’re gone,” Tyler muttered as he sat on a rock next to Caroline. They had made it to the clearing in record time, only to find it abandoned. There were no signs that anyone was ever there before, not even any lingering scents. Damon sighed, clearly frustrated and Bonnie squeezed his hand, drawing a small smile from him.

“We need to find them,” Stefan said as he looked up in thought. “If they’re resisting Klaus then they can help us.”

“They won’t help us. They _hate_ vampires. They sure as hell won’t help any of you,” Tyler said impatiently.

“They’ll help _you_. They’ve have before,” Stefan said softly. Tyler pressed his lips together in uncertainty. He could only hope they would help him. At this point, they were the only chance he had at finding Jeremy.


	11. Chapter 11

“Why can’t I come?” Bonnie demanded. “I have all the spells you might need to—!”

“What part of you’ll be _safe_ here don’t you understand?” Damon snapped as he stared her down. “The first person Klaus will kill is you, and you are the only way we can stop him! Ergo, you’re the safest _away_ from the action!”

“I’m not going to wait here for you to get killed while I could be helping you!” she cried, voice rising. “I can do so much more than waiting here for your orders when I can be helping my friends just like the rest of you!”

“He’ll _kill_ you! I’m trying to keep you safe damnit!”

“I don’t need to be kept safe! I can take care of myself Damon!”

“Guys,” Caroline started but was cut off by Damon.

“Because you did a fantastic job of that at the ball when you were locked in a closet!”

“You’re one to talk! At least my ex didn’t have me chained to a wall cutting me open!”

Damon opened his mouth to scream something and abruptly shut it. He glared at the witch and she returned it with equal fire. Matt and Caroline looked at them then at each other with knowing smiles.

“Jesus you two,” Tyler rolled his eyes, “Bonnie, you’re staying. I don’t normally agree with Damon, but he is right. Out of all of us, Klaus fears you the most which means he’ll kill you first chance he gets. You’re better off here.”

Bonnie huffed angrily and shut the book, throwing it on the couch before storming out of the room. Damon rolled his eyes and followed, the other three smirking at his back.

“Bonnie—”

“No! How _dare_ you?” she whirled around to face him. “I’m not some damsel in distress that you think you need to save! I have magic and powers that could kill you just as easily as you could kill—!”

He silenced her with a deep kiss. She gasped as he shoved her against the counter and thrust his tongue in her mouth at the same time. Her arms went around his neck as she pulled him closer, getting lost in him.

“I need you to be safe Bonnie,” he breathed against her lips. “I need you to stay here for _my_ sake, alright? I know you’re powerful and strong, and that’s exactly what Klaus fears. He’ll kill you and I just…I can’t lose you.”

She stared at him with wide hazel eyes, her thumbs stroking his face.

“I don’t want to lose you either Damon,” she whispered. “I don’t want to lose any of you. I just want our friends back.”

“If you stay here and find the spell, we’ll do the rest,” he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “I promise we’ll bring them home Bonnie.”

“I’m terrified that he’ll kill you,” she whispered into his chest. “He was so ready to do it before Damon. There is no reason he won’t if you find him.”

“He won’t kill me. As much as that bastard doesn’t want to admit it, he likes having me around,” he pulled back with a small smirk. She laughed.

“I’m holding you to that promise. I don’t think my ancestors would appreciate it if I tried to bring you back.”

He chuckled and leaned in closer, “Well we wouldn’t want to piss them off, would we?”

“No…we wouldn’t,” she murmured before their lips met again. She couldn’t deny that it was amazing, probably the best she’d ever experienced. Her hands balled his shirt and he wrapped one arm around her, the other gripping the counter. Her hands slid from his shirt to his face and cupped gently as their tongues mingled and he hoisted her onto the counter, moving between her legs to taste more.

They heard a light cough and a snicker behind them. They broke apart meeting Tyler and Matt’s smirks and Caroline’s beaming smile. Bonnie flushed and buried her face in Damon’s neck while said vampire rolled his eyes.

“Well I guess you’re staying,” Tyler said smugly.        

* * *

Elena gritted her teeth as fangs sunk into her arm for what felt like the hundredth time in a row, Klaus’ tight grip on her arm not helping with the pain. The hybrid sucked for a few more seconds before Klaus retracted her arm and handed it to the next one. She sank her fangs in above the previous holes and Elena hissed in pain.

When she had been fed off of by all the transitioning werewolves she was shoved back into the tent without a second look from the hybrid. She examined her arms, the holes reminding her of a stapler. She exhaled angrily before crawling to her brother, who was wrapped like a taco inside his blanket. She wriggled into the blanket with him and he immediately cuddled into her, sighing deeply.

“Ty,” he whispered as he sought her hand. Elena linked them together and kissed the back of his. His symptoms were worsening again; now he was dreaming about Tyler and hallucinating. She feared he would lose his mind, though Klaus seemed confident he would pull through. It hadn’t seemed like he would when he told her what happened to Jenna.

Sadly, Elena wasn’t surprised by her aunt’s death. For as long as they resisted Klaus, he would have had to kill one of them. It would be foolish of them to assume that Klaus would let them all live.

It was another hour before Jeremy woke. Elena knew he was disappointed to see her and not Tyler and tried not to take it to heart.

“Elena?” he mumbled sleepily. “Did he make you feed the werewolves?”

“Yeah, but I’m fine Jer,” she soothed. “It wasn’t bad at all.”

“I wish he would drop dead,” he whispered emotionally and Elena could tell he was close to tears again.

“So do I,” she couldn’t help but agree as she thought of Stefan. “But they’re coming for us. They haven’t given up. Tyler would never give up on you.”

“He’ll kill them if they find us. He’ll probably kill them right in front of us a-and then we’ll be stuck with him forever.”

Elena gathered him in her arms as he broke down again. As her own tears fell, she wished that someone could help them if only to make Jeremy’s suffering end.

            **xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

“Fuck,” Tyler muttered as his heart contracted painfully again. He doubled over when a second wave hit him hard and he repeated his mantra of Jeremy’s name in his head.

“Ty?” Caroline asked worriedly. He waved her away.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” he panted as he took a deep breath and stood upright. Caroline didn’t look convinced but didn’t press.

“If you can’t handle this Tyler, no one would blame you,” Stefan said softly.

“No, I need to find him. He needs me to find him,” Tyler glared forward with determination. “I’ll be fine.”

His tone left no room for questioning. The others gave him another cautious look before taking off again.

“I’m coming baby. Just hang on for me,” he whispered to the air before following them.   

* * *

Jeremy woke later in the day, the heat from the blanket and Elena curled up with him making him uncomfortable. He squirmed from her hold and stepped out of the tent, enjoying the cool breeze that hit him. The sun was still out but the wind made it more bearable as he traveled through the more open part of camp. He saw no sign of Klaus, which he was truly thankful for, and he walked in the direction Klaus had taken him earlier, making a detour and finding a nearby river.

When he deemed the coast clear he stripped off his clothes and jumped in, making sure to keep his body up to his head underwater in case of unwanted visitors. The water was cold but refreshing. It lessened the pain in his chest as he swam around, enjoying the mock sense of freedom he found for a while. He could pretend that Klaus didn’t exist, that he and Elena were just spending another summer day at the lake with their friends. He remembered the time at the beginning of last summer when Tyler had convinced him to ditch school so they could drive to a lake he would go to with his parents. He’d even prepared a picnic for them and they spent the entire day together. They had a bonfire afterwards, and he remembered the moment he realized he was in love with his best friend was when he took a bite of the s’more he was so proud of making and howled at the moon jokingly with a fat grin on his face.

He smiled fondly; Jenna had been pissed and grounded him for a week but that day was worth it. Every day with Tyler was well worth whatever consequence came with it, including this. Even though Klaus made it his mission to destroy what they had, Jeremy would go through this torture again and again if he got the chance to be with Tyler.

He dipped his head under to try and ignore the sudden pain that hit him. Klaus would only give him up when he was bored, and he would more than likely kill him when he did. He wasn’t going to let him go back to Tyler, he would simply kill him just to bring him more agony. And even if Tyler did find them, Klaus’s new hybrids would tear him and his friends apart. He was terrified that the next time he saw him, he would just be a corpse.

Jeremy let out a whimper, bubbles leaving his mouth as he came up and opened his eyes wide. He pressed his lips together tightly to try and fight off the tears he knew were inevitable. He couldn’t remember the last time he cried so much. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been _this_ miserable.

He swam around for almost an hour before stepping out and shaking his head, water flying everywhere. He shivered at the drop in temperature as he gathered his clothes, cursing himself for not bringing a blanket to use as a towel. When he put on his clothes to the best of his abilities he started making his way back to the camp begrudgingly, the dread seeping back into his stomach at what awaited him there.

He stopped for a moment; what the hell was he doing? Klaus wasn’t anywhere in sight. He could just leave right now! He could make it in the woods on his own for a while and if Tyler and the others were looking for him they were sure to find him eventually. He had to run into someone at some point who could help him, so why not take off now?

 _Elena_.

He sighed. He couldn’t leave Elena, especially since he tried to run away once before and Klaus threatened to kill her should he try it again. Even though it wasn’t the best plan, he was desperate to get away from Klaus. It dawned on him then that that was probably the only reason Klaus let him wander off alone. He _knew_ that he wouldn’t leave because of Elena. It was his way of manipulating him into staying while he made everyone believe he wanted to be there willingly.

He gritted his teeth as he felt an intense anger wash over him. Never had he hated someone so much as he did Klaus in that moment. He hated the bastard that ripped him away from his life, from the people he loved. He hated that he was obsessed with him and wouldn’t leave him alone.

He _hated_ with a passion that they were all pawns in his sick, twisted game and that none of them had a say in anything that happened to them. They’d done nothing to deserve this. _He_ did nothing to deserve this punishment Klaus had bestowed upon him. So why did Klaus think he had the right to do this to him?

He marched back to camp angrily. The sight of Klaus sitting with the others so casually and laughing with them made his blood boil and he balled his fists. Without thinking, he rushed over and punched the surprised hybrid in the face.

Klaus caught himself before falling but Jeremy didn’t let up. He delivered punch after punch after punch, his fists bloody and cracking from the force of his knuckles against the hybrids face. He didn’t realize that Klaus hadn’t ordered anyone to restrain him and that he wasn’t fighting him at all, his expression blank as Jeremy delivered blow after blow.

“You fucking son of a bitch!” Jeremy cried in between punches, ignoring the pain and letting adrenaline drive him on. “What did I ever do to you? What did I do to deserve this? _Answer me, goddamnit! What did I do_?”

Elena ran out of the tent when she heard him screaming but her path was blocked by two hybrids. She watched them in horror, fearing for Jeremy’s life as well as her own.

“Jeremy!” she cried to get his attention, but he was too far gone in his grief to hear.

“Who gave you the right to take me away from _everyone_ I love? Who gave you the right to drag me all over the fucking forest? Who gave you the _right_ to fight Tyler and take me away?”

The tears had broken their dam sometime between punches but the distraught boy didn’t notice this either. His strength was beginning to give out and he was starting to slow down. Finally he collapsed, overcome with fatigue and sobs as he curled into a fetal position on the cold ground. Klaus stood as if nothing had happened and looked down at the quivering boy, his eyes holding no empathy as he gazed at the surrounding hybrids coldly. His gaze stopped at Elena.

“Take her back into the tent and make sure she stays there.”

Both men grabbed each of her arms before she could protest and they dragged her back inside. One hybrid approached Klaus carefully.

“What about the boy, sir?”

“Leave him,” he snapped coldly. The hybrid nodded quickly, shrinking in fear before stepping back behind others around him. “No one touch him, just leave him be.”

With one last cold look at Jeremy, Klaus took off into the woods. No one dared follow him and they looked at one another before moving to the other side of the camp, leaving Jeremy alone.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

When Klaus came back it was near nightfall. He found a couple of humans to take his anger out on and now he was ready to deal with his stubborn mate. He was taken off guard when Jeremy had attacked him and he was angry that Jeremy would humiliate him knowing he couldn’t make him stop without hurting him. He looked weak, and Klaus knew he was _anything_ but weak.

He found Jeremy just beyond the forest sitting against a tree with his knees pressed close to his body. He was looking towards the stars, the moon’s light was hitting him at an angle where the softness of his features stood out and his breath caught. _This_ was the reason he had to take Jeremy away. He couldn’t allow anyone else to be around such _perfection_.

He approached him swiftly and pulled him up by his arm. They went deep into the forest before he let him go. Jeremy’s serene smile had vanished and was replaced with a cold glare that matched his own.

“What you did was unacceptable,” Klaus hissed. “You know that I can’t make you do anything unless I cause you pain and for a human, I can cause quite a bit of it.”

“Then maybe you should just kill me. Since I’m so disobedient,” Jeremy snorted as he looked beyond him to a tree. Klaus felt his blood boil.

“Why must you make _everything_ so difficult?” he barked. “This nonsense about Tyler and Mystic Falls ends now! You left that life, and this is your new one! Accept that like Elena has and move on Jeremy! You are not going back to Mystic Falls, or Tyler because _you are mine_!”

He bellowed the last part in Jeremy’s face, but he didn’t even flinch. The pain in his chest keeping him grounded as his sorrow, rage, and pain started to fuel him again.

“Go fuck yourself!” he snarled viciously. “You _made_ me leave that life Klaus! I didn’t _want_ to be uprooted from my life and my family! My life was perfect until _you_ showed up and made it a living hell!”

“You couldn’t have been happy being stuck in that pathetic town,” the hybrid snorted. “Please Jeremy. It is every person’s dream to leave their home and see the world.”

“I would’ve left someday, not that it’s any of your business.”

“Well consider this a head start into your education of the real world,” Klaus took a step towards him. “This is your life now Jeremy. It is here with me. Mystic Falls is a thing of the past, as is Tyler. There is a whole world waiting for you and I to explore, and those two things will only hold you back.”

“You don’t get it, do you?” Jeremy laughed humorlessly. “I belong in Mystic Falls Klaus. I belong there with my family, my friends and my boyfriend. I don’t need a head start on anything! I would have left when I was ready to see more! I have someone who has shown me the world, everything amazing about it, and he’s not you.”

“You and Tyler had a _fling_! I’m sure he’s already moved on with that blonde girl he’s always with. He has no respect for anyone or anything but himself and yet you fall in love with him.”

“Werewolf bonding isn’t a fucking fling! That means _everything_! It’s a stronger, more sacred bond than marriage!” Jeremy screamed furiously. “You have _no_ idea what it means to love, so you wouldn’t understand. But it won’t be broken or destroyed by you Klaus. Nothing you ever do will change what we have.”

“Interesting,” Klaus mused, a smirk sliding onto his face. “You call it love. But two boys who go from fighting constantly to hopping into bed isn’t love Jeremy. Now that you’re gone he’ll find someone else to take your place in his bed.”

“And I supposed you harassing me and kidnapping me is supposed to be real love right?” Jeremy asked sarcastically. “You don’t have a damn clue about our past! Don’t talk about things you don’t understand!”

“Understand this: you _will not_ be going back to him, not now, not ever. You will stop these little games and submit to me. Tyler Lockwood lost his privilege to be your mate and now you’re _mine_. You _will_ forget about him Jeremy.”

Jeremy’s expression twisted in anger. He stormed to Klaus and sneered in his face.

“Understand this _Klaus_ : I will _never_ be yours.”

He ran back to the camp and Klaus let him go, his expression a cross of anger and amusement.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

Jeremy breathed heavily as he dreamed of Tyler. It was so vivid he could touch him, smell his musky scent, feel his hands on his body, teasing him until his cock started to rise.

_“Looks like someone’s happy to see me.”_

_“Are you going to do something about it?” he moved his hips up._

Klaus paused when he returned from the woods, the scent of Jeremy’s arousal hitting him sharply. As if he were being drawn to it he entered the tent and knelt next to him. He cupped his face with one hand, feeling how hot and sweaty he was before his hand trailed down his damp shirt and into his pants. The moan he let out when he gripped his damp flesh made his cock twitch.

_Tyler kissed his way down his chest, stopping to lave at his nipples for a bit. Jeremy groaned and buried his fingers into his hair, trying to shove his head down to relieve his problem. Tyler chuckled._

_“Patience, babe.”_

_“Nghh, I need you,” he breathed out, thrusting his hips up once more. Tyler smirked and trailed down Jeremy’s stomach with his tongue before kissing his thighs and finally licking a stripe from the base of his cock to the tip, swallowing him whole._

“Please,” he moaned out, still thrusting. Klaus obliged, eyes transfixed on the willing boy, and continued to move his hand steadily until he brought him to climax. Jeremy cried out before moaning Tyler’s name and rolling over back into sleep.

Klaus flew out the tent before his anger alerted them of his presence. Of _course_ Jeremy would be thinking about Tyler. Of _course_ he would want the one he mated with to touch him. It was clear that Jeremy couldn’t let go of him on his own.

He snarled as he punched a tree. He was a fool in thinking Jeremy would forget, but he underestimated the power of his bond with Tyler. He should have ended this madness and let him go back but he couldn’t. He was _hooked_ on him. He wanted him so much it was starting to drive him insane and he would be _damned_ if Tyler took away one more thing that he wanted. Tyler had everything he wanted, and it brought him great pleasure to take it away from him. But Jeremy was becoming more than a prize to him. He was so deep under his skin that he couldn’t shake him and he knew there was only one thing he could do.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

Elena was allowed to leave the tent the next evening. She and Jeremy sat by a tree eating their dinner of rabbit, wincing as they forced down each bite. Her body guard kept watch close by.

“We need a plan,” Elena murmured. “Who knows how long it’ll take them to find us. If we can get away from them long enough we might find them in the forest.”

“I tried that once and he threatened to kill you if I did it again,” he said lowly. “I’m not taking that chance again Elena.”

“Then _I’ll_ go. I know for a fact he won’t kill either one of us. All I need is enough time to find Stefan, or for Tyler to sniff us out.”

There was a disturbance on the other side of the camp and they both turned their heads. Klaus was standing there, looking in their direction and from what they could see, he looked _pissed_. He tried to hide his fear as he glanced at Elena. He knew the hybrid heard them.

In less than a second Klaus was beside them and pulling Jeremy up roughly by his sweater. Jeremy gasped as he was forced against the tree, back scraping roughly against the bark. He looked at the pissed hybrid in a panic and struggled against him.

“What did I tell you about running away from me?” he barked to the terrified boy. “You are _never_ _going back to bloody Mystic Falls_!”

“Let go!” Jeremy cried. Klaus only held on tighter.

“This is your _last_ chance to let Tyler go,” he hissed dangerously. “This is your last chance to submit to me Jeremy.”

He shook his head with wide eyes.

“Then you’ve left me no choice. Ben!” he screeched to the hybrid beside the tree. “Hold the girl!”

“No! No stop!” Elena cried as he grabbed her arms behind her back. “Jeremy!”

“Don’t!” Jeremy cried as he pulled her arms further back and she screamed. “Klaus _don’t_!”

“Forget about him!” he snarled furiously to the teen.

“Klaus _stop_!” she wailed as she pulled and tugged. “ _Stop_!”

Jeremy’s head thrashed as Klaus tried to still him. He finally caught his chin and slammed his head into the tree. He immediately shut his eyes.

“Look at me Jeremy,” he growled.

“No!”

“Look at me or I’ll break her arms!” he spat. “I may need her alive but that doesn’t mean I won’t cause her pain!”

“Let him go Klaus!” Elena cried.

“Ben!” Klaus called and on cue he snapped her pinky finger sharply. Elena howled in pain, tears pouring down her face.

“No! Stop!” Jeremy’s eyes flew open. Klaus grinned wickedly.

“That’s better. Now,” his eyes dilated and Jeremy realized, with a sinking heart what was coming. “Forget about him.”

“No,” he felt tears pouring down his face as he tried desperately to hang onto every memory of Tyler. He grappled for every kiss, every smile, every time he said I love you. His mind went hazy and he screamed internally.

_No, please no!_

“Tyler Lockwood does not exist,” he started as he stared into Jeremy’s blank eyes. “You have never heard of him, you were never his mate, and you never loved him. You are my mate. You belong to me and me alone.”

“ _Jeremy_!” Elena fought harder despite the pain of her broken finger. “ _Don’t listen to him_!”

“You will obey my every command,” he continued calmly, ignoring the doppelganger’s cries, “because you love me and you are loyal to me, no matter what happens. You will never leave me.”

“I won’t leave you,” Jeremy repeated mechanically as the haze took over and the last memory of Tyler was wiped from his mind. “I love you. I’ll never leave.”

Klaus smiled, “Yes, love. Now you never will.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone read this chapter the first ten minutes it was up, I put the wrong chapter and I apologize! I went back and fixed it, so everything should be right! Enjoy!

Klaus held Jeremy steady as he made sure every trace of Tyler was wiped from his mind. He saw one tear leaving his blank eyes and he wiped it away.

“Don’t be sad love. There’s nothing to cry about,” he cooed. He finally let up and set Jeremy back on the ground. He leaned against the tree and looked dazed for a moment before he blinked and came to his senses.

“Let her go,” Klaus ordered to the hybrid. He did so and Elena shoved him away before running to her brother. Klaus caught her around her waist and ripped his wrist open and shoved it into her mouth. He pulled away after a couple forced mouthfuls and she pushed away from him to get to Jeremy, barely noticing how her pinky was healed.

“Jeremy!” she grabbed his face in her hands. “Jer! Look at me!”

The teen blinked twice before shaking his head and focusing on the being in front of him, “Elena…what are you doing?”

“What do you remember?” she blurted. “Klaus compelled you to forget about Ty—!”

“Don’t you _dare_ speak his name!” he snapped viciously. The brunette doppelganger jumped, forgetting he was still with them. Jeremy looked between them with confusion.

“Forget about who?”

“No one, love,” Klaus grinned as he held out a hand to him. When Jeremy returned it and took his hand, Elena’s mouth dropped.

“What the hell are you doing Jeremy?” she shot up between them just as Klaus was trying to pull him into a hug. “Don’t you remember who this is?”

“Yeah…he’s my boyfriend,” Jeremy said slowly. “What’s with you Elena?”

“Boyfriend,” she threw Klaus a dirty glare. “Isn’t that a little young for you?”

“Someone’s feisty tonight, I see. I’m glad you seem to have your spirit back. I was sure after the fire and the Salvatores trying to murder you that you would never be the same,” Klaus said sympathetically. Elena stared at him in disbelief.

“You’re insane!” she spat as she shoved him.

“Elena!” Jeremy cried as he came in front of her and held her arms. “What’s wrong with you?”

“This—this isn’t you Jeremy! Don’t you see what he’s doing?” she cried. “He compelled you to forget Mystic Falls and Tyler and our friends! He’s brainwashing you!”

She stopped when Jeremy started chuckling.

“Elena, Klaus is your best friend,” he said in amusement. “He’s the one that stopped Stefan getting aggressive with you when he came to Mystic Falls. You guys have been close ever since.”

“Wh-what?” she breathed. Klaus grinned behind her.

“Yeah. How do you think I met him?” he grinned at the blonde.

“B-But—no! No that’s not—!”

“As much fun is this game is, I think we should all retire to our beds,” Klaus faked a yawn. “Elena love, you have the most vivid imagination I have ever encountered. It is quite refreshing.”

“Jeremy!” she cried as he passed her to get to Klaus. “Jeremy stop! You don’t know what you’re doing!”

“Have I told you how beautiful you looked today?” Klaus murmured when Jeremy was close enough to pull into his arms. The younger laughed lightly and wrapped his arms around his waist.

“You tell me every day,” he whispered, staring into warm blue eyes.

“Jeremy!” Elena demanded as she walked to them, intent on pulling him away from the hybrid. “You have to listen to me!”

Instead, Jeremy leaned forward and caught Klaus’s lips in a surprise kiss. The doppelganger froze in place and gaped at them. Klaus recovered from his shock and wrapped his arms around Jeremy in return. When they pulled away, Jeremy rested his head on his shoulder and he did the same. He sent Elena a wicked smile over his shoulder.

She watched in horror as they kissed _again_ and she couldn’t watch anymore. She brushed past Klaus, her shoulder sharply hitting his arm and went back into her tent. She grabbed Jeremy’s blanket and wrapped it around herself, using the corner to cover her face as her tears fell.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

Tyler stopped walking as a sharp pain abruptly shot through his body. He grunted dropping to one knee wondering what the hell was going on.

“You okay?” Damon asked as he and the others stopped.

“I don’t know. Something’s not right,” he muttered. His heart was pounding and dread was starting to seep into his body. He had a feeling that something awful was about to happen, if it hadn’t already.

“We should hurry,” Stefan muttered. When Tyler stood they took off even faster than before.

* * *

Jeremy yawned as the early morning light made its way through the tent he was now sharing with Klaus. He could feel the hybrid’s arms wrapped tightly around his torso and breathing on the nape of his neck and he smiled gently. It amazed him that someone could love someone as much as Klaus loved him. After everything that had happened with Elena and the Salvatores, his sister needed someone to look after her and he was beyond grateful for that.

But there was something off with the whole fire story. He had memories of watching Elena and Stefan. He knew he hated the fact that he was a vampire, but he treated his sister right and he looked out for him too. So why in the hell would they set his house on fire and kill his aunt? Klaus explained that Stefan had a vicious temper and had tried to hurt Elena after their nasty break-up…but he never remembered them breaking up. And Stefan, from what he recalled, wasn’t violent at all. He broke up a fight between him and someone else at a football game a while back…but he couldn’t remember where.

A face flashed before his eyes and he sat up, Klaus’s arms and the blankets pooling around his waist and showing his toned chest. Something was wrong with him. He felt as if there were holes in his memory. It was like he couldn’t remember his past, or how or _why_ he and Klaus and Elena were in the forest with a bunch of vampires.

The face flashed before his eyes again; a handsome face with a cocky smirk. There was something so _familiar_ about that face, yet he couldn’t remember what.

Klaus shifted and tightened his arm around him and he smiled laying back down. He pushed it to the back of his mind.

* * *

Bonnie sighed as the book she’d been reading for the past hour led to yet another dead end. She and Matt had been in the library for three nights in a row searching about werewolves, vampires, spells, bonds, witches, anything that could help their friends or her perform a spell that could kill Original vampires.

“Here,” Matt sat a cup of coffee in front of her and she smiled thankfully. “Nothing?”

She shook her head with a heavy sigh and took a sip.

“We’ve nearly pulled every book in the mythology section. I don’t think we’ll get much else from here,” he dropped in his chair heavily. “I talked to Caroline today. Tyler’s pain is getting worse.”

“But there’s _nothing_ that says how to actually break a bond between werewolves. All we know is that it has to be bad enough to split two souls apart,” the witch leaned forward. “What is the worst crime you can commit against someone else?”

“Murder,” Matt shrugged. “But we know Klaus won’t kill Jeremy.”

“Then he’ll have to kill Tyler. And if the mate of one werewolf dies, the other is sure to follow soon after, so that can’t be it either.”

“Then there’s other ways we’re not thinking of,” Matt took a long sip of coffee. Bonnie shoved the book away from her and checked her phone again; still nothing from her mother. She nearly threw it in frustration.

“My mom has all the ancient books, and I bet you we’ll find everything we need to know about werewolves in them!” she pinched the bridge of her nose. “I just wish I knew where she was.”

Her phone chose that moment to start ringing and she gasped when she picked it up.

“Mom? Where have you _been?_ ”

Matt watched her talk for a few moments before hanging up. She pushed the books to the end of the table and stood.

“Where is she?”

“At the boarding house, the only one she could get into without an invitation,” Bonnie said as quietly as she could. “She has what we need.”

They arrived at the boarding house in record time. Bonnie was out of Matt’s truck in a flash, bursting through the door.

“Mom?”

“Here,” she came out of the basement, holding a blood bag. Bonnie winced as she watched her.

She shrugged, “I didn’t think they would mind.”

“Did you get my messages?” she started as she dropped her bag. “Klaus took my friends and he burned everything they owned so I can’t use the tracking spell I know. There’s another one, but it requires two witches and I need you to help me learn it.”

“Do you have another witch to help?”

“No. And we don’t have time to find one,” she stood in front of her. “I know you’re a vampire now, but you haven’t forgotten how magic works. Teach me the tracking spell and I’ll do the rest.”

“Honey, there are limitations to these spells. There’s a reason it requires two witches,” she sighed. “You can create a deficit in your magic and you might wind up doing more harm than good.”

“I have to Mom! Klaus took my best friend! He put the my other friends in danger!”

“Bonnie I _can’t_ help you! I have no magic! I can’t _feel_ magic running through me anymore!”

The young witch made a frustrated face as she picked up her phone. She scrolled through the pictures and stopped on one of Tyler and Jeremy smiling together on Tyler’s front lawn.

“Tyler is a werewolf, Jeremy is his mate. They were separated by Klaus, another werewolf,” she thrust the phone at her. “You know what will happen to both of them if we don’t help them Mom. Tyler is already feeling the symptoms. Please, just help me find Jeremy and they can bring him home.”

Abby sighed as she looked at them, “How long have they been bonded?”

“Since the beginning of last summer.”

“They’re cute together,” she sighed again and squeezed the last few drops out of the bag. “Let me see the book.”

She handed the book over when a thought came to mind, “Do you know about werewolf bonds?”

“They are considered as sacred to nature as a witch’s magic. There are dire consequences for those who break them.”

“How do you break them?”

She reached into her bag and pulled out a thick book with pages falling out of it. Bonnie took it carefully, afraid it would fall apart in her hands.

“That book has every supernatural creature and nearly every spell ever created chronicled in it,” she said as she flipped through the one on her lap. “It should tell you exactly how to break the bond, the effects and its consequences. They’re usually lasting.”

Bonnie and Matt shared a look before she placed the book on the coffee table. He sat beside her as they carefully flipped through the book until they found the large section on werewolves.

* * *

Elena had been up all night, not being able to sleep out of fear of what would happen now that her brother was under Klaus’ compulsion. She could run now, since she wouldn’t have to worry about Jeremy losing his mind, but she was scared to leave him now that he wasn’t himself. Because she had the feeling that Klaus would take this as far as he could and she wasn’t about to let that happen.

Convincing Jeremy to run was out of the question. She wondered how in the world Klaus managed to get Jeremy to believe Tyler didn’t exist when he’d always been a part of his life in some way. Their bond wasn’t broken; it _couldn’t_ have broken that easily. The only way she knew of to break it was to kill one of them, and the other would die after that. So there had to be a way to make Jeremy remember his memories through their bond. It wasn’t the best plan, and she didn’t even know where to start with using the bond to make him remember but she had to try.

Slowly, so as not to wake her slumbering guard in the tent, she crawled quietly to the front of the tent and unzipped it, pausing to see if the hybrid guard had moved. When there was no movement she unzipped it the rest of the way, the sunlight immediately assaulting her eyes and she covered them with her hand before crawling out and zipping up quickly. Not many were out this morning and she felt a twinge of disappointment when she didn’t see Jeremy.

She took a deep breath as she marched to Klaus’ tent. When she saw Klaus curled around her brother it made her nauseated and angry at the same time.

“Jer!” she hissed through the crack she made in the tent. “Jer!”

He moved but didn’t open his eyes. Klaus snuggled into him and she balled her hand into a fist.

“Jeremy!”

“What?” he groaned as he rolled over to face her. His eyes were still closed.

“Open your eyes!”

He did so and met his sister’s, “What Elena?”

“Get out here! Now!”

Jeremy sighed as he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He grabbed his shirt and slipped it on his shoulders, not bothering with the buttons as he left the tent. Elena grabbed his arm none too gently and dragged him away from the camp into the forest.

“Elena!” Jeremy cried when he yanked his arm back. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“You’re being compelled by Klaus to forget everything,” she turned to face him. She fought to keep her face straight when she realized he grabbed Klaus’ shirt. “He lied to you about Stefan and Damon, the fire and Tyler.”

He blinked, “Who the hell is Tyler?”

“Your _mate_. Your _real_ mate,” she sighed. “You have a bond with him. It may be weak right now but I swear to you it’s there. You would tell me all the time how you could feel what he was feeling.”

“I have _no_ idea what you’re talking about,” Jeremy laughed. “If I was mated to a Tyler, don’t you think I would know?”

“No! Klaus wanted you to _forget_ him! You don’t know anything about him because you _can’t remember_!”

“Elena, we went through this yesterday,” he sighed tiredly. “There is no Tyler, alright? Klaus is my mate, we’re on the run from your psychotic ex-boyfriend and his brother because they burned down our house and killed Jenna—”

“No!” she grabbed his arm and pulled him in deeper. “No, Jeremy that did _not_ happen! Rebekah killed Jenna! Rebekah is Klaus’s sister! You _have_ to at least remember her!”

“Klaus doesn’t have siblings. His mother died during his childbirth,” he frowned. Elena gaped at him.

“What the hell has he _done_ to you?” she whispered in horror. “He’s…he’s changed your entire memory!”

“What’re you talking about Elena?”

“We need to get out of here,” she muttered as she grabbed his arm again. “We can’t stay here.”

“Elena,” he pulled her into his arms. “What’s wrong Elena? Are you…are you having a breakdown? Is this another panic attack?”

“What? No!” she pulled away. “Jer, I’m not crazy! I don’t know what he’s done to you but this isn’t real! _None_ of this is right! We need to find Tyler and then you’ll see what I’m talking about!”

“I don’t know a Tyler!” he said impatiently, ignoring the shiver that rolled down his spine. “I’ve never met anyone named Tyler before!”

“How can you not remember him? He _loves_ you—you love him!”

Jeremy shook his head, “I’m sorry Elena.”

She grabbed his arm again and turned to pull him even further from the camp. But she came face to face with Klaus and she hopped backwards with a startled yelp.

“I was wondering where you went. I missed you this morning,” he grinned. Jeremy returned the smile tentatively while Elena looked at him in fear. “Where’re you going?”

“Nowhere.”

“Away from you.”

Klaus raised an eyebrow at the elder Gilbert. Jeremy watched them nervously.

“Why would you do that Elena? I’ve been nothing but kind to you after the Salvatores burned down your house and killed Jenna, bless her soul.”

“You killed her! You killed her and destroyed our home…you tried to kill Stefan and Damon in the woods the same night!”

“Only to protect you and Jeremy. They were on the hunt, I had to do something,” Klaus said seriously with a little twinkle in his eye.

“Stefan and Damon were trying to save us!” she turned to Jeremy and frantically grabbed his face. “Please don’t listen to what he says! _I’m_ telling you the truth!”

“I feared this would happen,” Klaus said sadly and Jeremy looked at him questioningly. “Didn’t I tell you the fire damaged her?”

She kept her eyes on Jeremy, waiting for his answer. She felt as if this would condemn her or save them.

“Y-Yeah…yeah you did,” he murmured and her heart sank.

“Jeremy,” she whispered but he had taken a step back. Klaus put his hand on her arm and she snatched it back, “Don’t touch me!”

“Elena I just want to help you!” Klaus said laughing as he grabbed her, ignoring her attempts to break free.

“Get away from me!” she spat angrily and she slapped him hard with her free hand.

“Elena!” Jeremy gaped at her. “What the hell?”

Klaus was taken aback for a moment before a scowl crossed his features.

“Kate!” he screamed. Two seconds later a thick, blonde woman appeared beside the brunette. Klaus gave Elena a wicked grin, one Jeremy couldn’t see, before telling the blonde Amazon to take her back to her tent.

“Jeremy, please!” she begged as the hybrid through her over her shoulder. “I’m your sister! I wouldn’t lie to you! You have to believe me!” her voice faded as the Amazon rushed off.

Jeremy watched worriedly after her before turning to Klaus, “I don’t know what’s gotten into her.”

“I don’t know love. The stress of it all must be taking its toll,” Klaus said solemnly.

He took Jeremy’s hand and led him back to their tent. He pulled him close when the door was zipped and kissed him. Jeremy responded enthusiastically and Klaus quickly flipped them so he was on top of the brunette. He trailed kisses down the pale neck as his hands skimmed the sides as he slipped his shirt off. Jeremy moaned and rolled his hips up.

“C’mon baby,” he whispered seductively, biting his lip.

Klaus grinned mischievously before removing his own shirt and his pants, trailing kisses down Jeremy’s stomach and chest before removing his pants and boxers and going to his lips once more. He gripped Jeremy’s hard length and reveled in the moan that escaped the writhing boy.

“You’re mine,” he whispered fondly as he trailed a hand down his cheek.

Jeremy smiled, kissing him again, “All yours.”

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

The four vampires had taken to the cliffs, Tyler catching a good scent of the missing werewolf pack. They had been going on for about two hours straight, the trees and landscape speeding by them in a blur. Tyler had just landed on the cliff when a pain worse than the other times combined struck him. He cried out alerting the others as he fell over, his ears ringing and his mind drowning in pain. He saw a bit of blonde hair before he started shaking so violently that he gritted his teeth to stop them from slamming against each other. Hands were holding him down and someone was dialing a phone number before everything seemed to become a confusing mass of noise in his head. The pain was blinding; someone was giving loud, tormented screams; someone that sounded much like himself. He heard a wolf howling in agony somewhere as if it was being killed but he could barely decipher it over the loud, painful ringing in his ears.

The pain consumed him and he thought his life would end right then and there. If Caroline wasn’t keeping him grounded he was sure he would have fell off the cliff. His mouth was open and someone screamed alarmingly loud but everything sounded fuzzy like he was underwater. He was flipped on his back and Caroline’s face came into view, one hand going to his face, her other to his chest as she tried to keep him steady but he couldn’t control his shaking. His eyes rolled in the back of his head, his chest constricted to where he couldn’t breathe and his heart tightened as if it would fail. Every beat felt like it was being pulled straight out of his chest.

“What the hell is happening to him?” Stefan choked in horror as he tried to keep Tyler from hitting his head against the rock, another hand covering his mouth to muffle the screams.

“It’s Jeremy,” Caroline voice wavered as tears rolled down her face. “Their bond is broken. He’s going into shock.”


	13. Chapter 13

Damon clutched the phone tightly as he watched the scene a good distance from him. He cringed when he heard another of Tyler’s desperate screams and he was thankful, for once, that he was a blood sucking monster with emotions that came with an on-off switch. He couldn’t imagine going through what the hybrid was now. But there was one question plaguing his mind: how did Klaus managed to break their bond?

“Damon? You okay?” Bonnie finally answered and Damon took a deep breath as he prepared himself for what he might hear.

“I need to know what happens when a werewolf bond is broken.”

She gasped, “No! It’s not—!”

“It is,” he said quietly. “He’s…it’s not good Bonnie.”

“Oh God,” she breathed. “Damon…there’re only three ways for it to happen.”

He closed his eyes, knowing he wasn’t going to like the answer. “What are they?”

“The mate can die, they can leave…or they physically mate with someone else,” she sniffed. “When werewolf mates die, usually the other one dies soon after and werewolf mates typically don’t want to leave each other if they bonded.”

“And the physical mating?”

“They never want to mate with anyone else, so they’re usually…forced,” she ended on a whisper. Damon let out a slow breath.

“I _knew_ this would happen,” he said softly as he leaned against a tree. “Jeremy would never give into Klaus willingly.”

“Poor Tyler,” she said sadly. “Have you…told him?”

“No. We can’t tell him much of anything right now.”

“Why?”

“Caroline said he’s going into shock. He’s in a lot of pain,” he winced when he heard another sharp scream.

“That’s probably stage one of the phase werewolves go through with a broken bond.”

“What’s stage two?”

“He’ll be in mourning. He’ll be no better than a zombie according to this book,” she sighed. “Then he’ll lose the will to live and eventually he’ll just…wither away until he dies.”

“Can we fix it?”

“I…I don’t know,” she said quietly and he exhaled slowly. “Matt and I will keep looking.”

“Please do,” he murmured.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

Caroline sighed sadly as she smoothed back Tyler’s hair. They moved him into a cave where they were well hidden as he continued to scream and shake. Stefan tried three times to snap his neck but the hybrid was shaking so much it was impossible to keep him still long enough. After nearly thirty minutes of pained screams did he hyperventilate and pass out in the blonde’s lap. It took everything in her not to cry over what they just experienced.

Next to her, Stefan looked haunted. He had no idea how strong the bond between Tyler and Jeremy was, but now he realized it went deeper than anything he could’ve imagined. For Tyler to feel this much pain for so long showed him how close they were, how they were literally one soul in two bodies. And Klaus literally ripped them in half.

“How can he live with himself?” Caroline whispered hoarsely. “They were…they were so happy and their bond was sacred…and now J-Jeremy’s….”

“We don’t know if he’s dead Care,” he said gently. “There’re two other options that could have happened.”

“And none of them are good! _None_ of them are good at all!” she sobbed into her best friend’s hair. Stefan pulled her into a one-armed hug.

“I hate him,” she spat contemptuously after another brief silence. “I hate him for doing this to them, and to us. He took one of my best friends and practically murdered another and he took _you_ away and made you a Ripper again and—and I just can’t understand _why_ Stefan! _Why_ would he do this to us?”

“Because he can,” he said lowly. “Because Klaus is the most powerful person on this planet and he can do _whatever_ he wants to _whomever_ he wants. There’s nothing stopping him.”

“What do we do?” she asked after it was silent for a while.

“We’ll figure it out,” he gave her a small smile, “we always do Care.”

“I don’t know how we’re going to help Tyler,” she said sadly. “There’s nothing that we can do or say to make this situation better for him.”

“Then we keep looking until we find Jeremy. We don’t stop looking until we find them and bring them home,” he gave the hybrid a sad look. “Jeremy is the only one who can save him now.”

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

Everything was a giant, dark mass. There was no beginning, middle or end. He was trapped in never-ending darkness with no hope of escape. But he had no reason to escape, not after having his reason for living ripped away from him. It was too good to be true to have someone like Jeremy forever. He should have known this would happen someday.

The emptiness was starting to set in, pressing greatly on his heart. Every beat was painful. It felt as if a steel box was pressing down on it while layers of skin were slowly peeled away, leaving him agonized and barely able to catch a breath. Every time he tried, the pain only worsened. He wanted to die.

“Jeremy,” he begged as he tried to feel him through their severed bond. There was nothing.

“Jer,” he whimpered. He needed him to say something, say _anything_ to lead him out of this suffocating darkness.

“Jeremy please, please,” he whispered to the darkness. “Please come back, please. I need you.”

 _He’s gone. He can’t help you_.

He whimpered again as his subconscious told him what he feared: their bond was broken; they were no longer connected, no longer one soul in two bodies. They were ripped apart from each other in a cruel twist of fate and now there was nothing to connect them anymore. He couldn’t feel Jeremy and that thought alone made him wish for death. And he prayed it came quickly.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

Jeremy moaned as he bent over again, the rest of his dinner coming up and landing near the tree. He coughed and moaned again, Klaus rubbing his back and soothing him gently. He knew that Jeremy would feel _something_ when the bond between him and Tyler broke and he was sure he would feel better soon. But Tyler…he grinned evilly as he thought of how much pain the hybrid must be in now. They would have to fall back with the way he was suffering now. There was no way the hybrid would be able to carry on in this much pain. If he was lucky, he would die in a couple of days.

Jeremy made a retching noise and Klaus’ soothing demeanor was back in place. He wished that he could have broken it without causing Jeremy any pain but it didn’t matter now. What did matter was that it was broken, Tyler Lockwood would die of a broken heart and he and Jeremy would be free to spend the rest of their lives together.

Jeremy leaned back against Klaus as he felt his stomach start to settle and Klaus rubbed his back, “How do you feel, love?”

“Like hell,” he murmured. “I feel like…I feel like I lost something.”

“Your dinner?” Klaus chucked. Jeremy smile weakly.

“No I mean something…important. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“It’ll pass. It’s just a bug,” Klaus frowned as he ran a hand through his hair.

“I hope so,” he murmured leaning his head against Klaus’ shoulder wondering why he felt so empty.

* * *

When Tyler came to, it was nighttime. The stars looked dim from where he was lying and the only source of light was the small fire that he was lying next to. He was thoroughly confused as he sat up and looked around.

“Ty? You okay?” Caroline asked carefully and his head snapped towards her form sitting on a log. He tried to speak but his tongue felt heavy. A sharp pain went through his chest and he groaned as he brought a hand to his heart.

Suddenly he couldn’t breathe. Caroline was beside him in a split second helping him lay back down. His mind was spinning and he only focused on one thing.

“Jeremy!” Tyler cried as his hands dug into the dirt to ground himself. He didn’t know when the pain had started, but it was devouring him like the previous times. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he called out for his lover.

“Shh, Tyler it’s okay,” Caroline whispered to him as her own tears fell. She gathered the broken boy into her arms and held him tightly as he cried.

“Please,” he croaked up at her with wide, watery eyes, “I need Jeremy.”

“I know Ty, I know,” she whispered as she rocked back and forth. There was a disturbance of air as Stefan and Damon appeared beside them.

“What’s happening?” Stefan knelt beside her.

“He woke up screaming for him,” she paused when Tyler let out an anguished cry that sounded nothing like him. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to get far with him like this!”

“I didn’t think the effects would happen this fast,” Stefan muttered, turning to Damon. “How long is he going to be like this?”

“I don’t know. Bonnie didn’t give me a time frame.”

“Did we bring anything of Jeremy’s with us?”

“We didn’t bring _anything_ with us, Stefan.”

“ _Jeremy_!” Tyler screamed hysterically and Caroline tightened her hold.

“Has Bonnie located him yet?” she said desperately.

“No—” Stefan was abruptly cut off by a piercing howl from Tyler who had succeeded in breaking free. Damon was on him in a flash; he twisted his neck with a loud snap and Tyler fell limply into his arms. He lowered him back to the ground and stepped back, Caroline and Stefan coming on either side of him to stare at their friend.

“You might want to call Bonnie,” Stefan said quietly, eyes never leaving Tyler’s still form.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

_“Jeremy!”_

The anguished cry rang through Jeremy’s ears as he shot up, beads of sweat rolling down his face, chest and back. He looked around frantically for the voice but the only ones in the tent were him and Klaus. He shook Klaus’ arm off of him and stepped out into the chilly night air. He looked around again and saw no one.

“Hello?” he called. He waited a few moments but there was only silence. The trees blew past each other as he walked further.

“Hello?”

An image appeared to him beyond two tall trees. Captivated, he followed it, and found himself standing behind someone. But he was staring at Klaus from the other side. The look on his face was wicked and he shivered.

“ _I want you to drink his blood_ ,” Klaus was saying. “ _All of it_.”

“ _You’re sick!_ ” the boy snapped back.

Jeremy blinked and panicked when he saw nothing there. He staggered backwards and cried out when he bumped into someone. Arms wrapped around him to keep him from falling.

“What are you doing out here?” Klaus questioned, his grip on Jeremy’s arms tightening.

“I—I don’t know,” he said uncertainly, “I thought I heard….”

He turned back to the forest but no one was there. Klaus chuckled quietly and turned Jeremy’s jaw to him to kiss him. Jeremy returned it, trying to ignore how wrong it suddenly felt. He cupped Klaus’ face and tried to slow the kiss down but Klaus pushed him against the tree and deepened it. Jeremy whimpered and he felt Klaus smirk before pulling back.

“Never leave me,” the hybrid whispered. Jeremy frowned.

“Of course not! I love you!”

“Just making sure,” he gave Jeremy a small smile before pecking him on the lips. Jeremy watched him go back into their tent with a frown. There was something seriously wrong with him and this entire situation, and now he wished he would’ve listened to Elena. Maybe she wasn’t as crazy as Klaus said she was. _He_ was the one seeing things. But that memory had seemed so familiar, and he couldn’t figure out why.

_Tyler. His name is Tyler._

Jeremy stared wide-eyed at the ceiling of the tent. It was possible that Tyler was real. It was possible that everything Elena said was right. Because in that memory he had, Klaus looked like he wanted to kill him and he was positive that the boy, Tyler, was protecting him. He was _positive_ that memory was real.

He turned away from the hybrid and stared at the wall of the tent. He needed to talk to his sister.

* * *

“How bad is he?”

“Bad,” Damon sighed. “This is the second day he’s woken up screaming for him.”

“It’s not going to get better. Once he passes the shock phase he’ll be a lifeless version of himself. It’ll be as if he’s dead inside, which will eventually lead to his overall death.”

“Shit,” Damon swore. “We’re going to have to leave him somewhere and find Jeremy and Elena ourselves.”

“Bring him with you. If Jeremy’s alive then he’ll be able to find him.”

“How? The bond is broken.”

“A werewolf’s entire existence revolves around the one they have the bond with. Even if it’s broken, they can still catch their scent or something familiar about them like their voice. If Jeremy isn’t dead, the bond can be restored and mended,” she sighed. “I almost have the spell down. Tell Tyler to hang on.”

“I will,” he paused for a moment. “I miss you.”

She smiled slightly, “I miss you too.”

“I’ll see you soon. Hopefully.”

“Hopefully,” she murmured before they hung up. She sighed before going back next to her mother, “Let’s try again.”

“Bonnie this isn’t safe for you,” her mother said in concern. “You’re already using beyond your limit.”

“Tyler is going to be in a lot more pain than me if I don’t keep trying,” she snapped impatiently. “Their bond was broken and this spell is the only chance I have at saving them. We’re supposed to protect nature and all things sacred as witches, right?”

“You won’t be of help to anyone if you exhaust your magic Bonnie!” Abby exclaimed. Bonnie shook her head stubbornly.

“Again, mom,” she said firmly and Abby sighed before she started the chant. Bonnie wiped the blood that trailed from her nose and concentrated on Jeremy’s shirt as hard as she could.

* * *

Elena was met with a chaotic scene of hybrids running left and right as they packed their things when she left the tent the next morning.

“What’s going on?” she asked her body guard. He turned to her questioningly.

“Klaus needs to find more wolf packs. It’s time to move on.”

“He wants _more_ hybrids?” she exclaimed. “How many does he need?”

“Enough to satisfy himself,” he answered before looking straight ahead. Elena turned to see what he was looking at and felt her insides turn and her stomach sink as she watched Klaus and Jeremy kissing for what looked like the hundredth time.

“That’s wrong,” he muttered quietly. Elena agreed wholeheartedly.

“He’s your brother?”

“Yeah,” she had to look away when Klaus grabbed his behind. “Klaus compelled him. This isn’t him at all.”

“I know. He belonged to someone else.”

She stared at him, “What do you mean?”

“He’s the mate of another werewolf. It’s wrong for Klaus to break them apart when he’s already spoken for.”

“How…how did you know?”

“Every werewolf knows a werewolf mate when they see one. I have one myself,” he gave her a small smile.

“Are they…here?”

“No. I told her to go with another pack that went into hiding before he came. It’s the one he’s most interested in finding.”

“Who are they?”

“Their leader’s name is Marshall. They were his first group of hybrids but they’ve learned to break their sire bond to Klaus and they ran instead of facing him. If Klaus finds them, he’ll beat them all into submission.”

“Why didn’t you go with them?”

“I stayed to protect what was left of my pack. When she heard Klaus was coming she said she had to run or she would be killed immediately. Klaus has a vendetta against her,” he sighed. “It’s been hard, but I would rather her be safe than dead, you know?”

“Who is she?” Elena asked gently.

He smiled faintly, “Her name is Katherine. For a while, I thought you were her.”

* * *

“Should we tell him about the other two ways a bond is broken?” Caroline asked as she stared at Tyler who had been sitting in the same position since he woke up hours ago. “He thinks Jeremy is dead.”

“The other two options are no better,” Stefan said hollowly. “And he could be for all we know. They _both_ could be.”

“Don’t say that!” Caroline hit his arm. “We can’t start thinking like that Stefan. Tyler needs us to be positive right now!”

“You’re right. Sorry,” he sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He was so tired of being in the forest and not having Elena next to him. Her absence was starting to take its toll on him.

“He needs to feed. He hasn’t had any blood in weeks,” she said quietly.

“Then we make him,” Damon said from behind them, having just come back from his own lunch. He knelt in front of Tyler and grabbed his chin with one hand. Tyler didn’t move.

“You need to feed,” Damon spoke slowly. “Sitting here isn’t solving anything.”

Tyler didn’t answer. Damon tightened his grip on his chin as he continued talking to him like a child. Caroline and Stefan watched sadly as Tyler made no effort to help himself.

“Goddamnit Tyler!” he huffed as he stood. “Don’t you want to be ready to kick Klaus’ ass when you see him?”

“I’m not hungry,” Tyler’s voice was robotic. He could honestly care less about Klaus showing up at that moment. He would gladly let the hybrid kill him so he could be with Jeremy in death.

“Look, I know that Jeremy would feed you his blood. But he’s not available at the moment so little forest animals are going to have to do for now.”

Tyler flinched at his name. It was the most movement they’d seen from him in hours.

“Ty,” Caroline knelt beside him as Damon stood. “You need to eat something. Jeremy wouldn’t want you to starve yourself.”

“Jeremy isn’t here,” he said in the same deadened tone. “He’s gone and he’s not coming back.”

“He’s not dead.”

“Yes he is,” he said with a hint of emotion. “I can’t feel him or sense him. He’s gone.”

He squeezed his eyes shut, the pain starting to come back. Caroline opened her mouth to say something but closed it when she realized she didn’t know _what_ to say. She opened her mouth and started to tell him the other two possibilities but one warning look from Damon stopped her.

“You know what?” Damon hauled Tyler to his feet using his arm. “I’m not going to sit here and let you starve to death. You need to hunt, _now_.”

“I don’t want—”

“ _Now,_ Lockwood. Or I’ll find a little deer to drain down your throat.”

Tyler glared at him before he took off into the forest. Damon and Caroline shared a look before Damon followed him to make sure he did as instructed. Caroline watched them before sighing and sitting heavily on a large boulder. It was horrible to see Tyler like this. She wondered if Jeremy _was_ dead and that was the reason Bonnie couldn’t find them. She shook her head of the thought.

The buzzing of her cell-phone knocked her from her thoughts and she answered when she saw it was Bonnie. “Hey—”

“Caroline, I found them! I know where they are!”

* * *

“How long are we going to camp out here babe? What happened to those five star hotels you promised me?” Jeremy asked playfully. Klaus laughed and kissed his forehead.

“Don’t worry love, we just need to find one more pack of wolves and we’ll be out of these woods.”

“Why do you need so many hybrids? They aren’t…coming with us, are they?”

“Not all. They’ll be in New Orleans awaiting my instructions. Only the ones I trust will accompany us for protection. And Elena could use some company. Perhaps one of them can help ease the pain Stefan caused her.”

Jeremy frowned. He tried to talk to Elena alone this morning but Klaus had instructed her body guard not to leave her side. And Klaus hadn’t left _his_ side all morning, which was starting to grate on his nerves. It was as if he didn’t trust him.

Suddenly he felt a tingle shoot through his body. It wasn’t unpleasant but it made him stop walking. He blinked, wondering where it came from.

“What?” Klaus questioned in a soft tone. The teen shook his head.

“It’s nothing. I’m fine,” he tightened his hold on Klaus’ hand as they continued through the forest.


	14. Chapter 14

Katherine wrinkled her nose in disgust as she watched two hybrids tear apart a rabbit. She made an involuntary noise of disgust and they glared at her. She returned it, and held it until they went back to their dinner.

Making herself as comfortable as she could on her log, she thought about how she came to be in the forest with the first batch of Klaus’ hybrids. Klaus had been hunting her for over 500 years, and it occurred to her that the best place to hide would be where he’d already passed through. Except now he was looking for this very pack, which did not bode well for her.

Her thoughts drifted to the hybrid named Ben she’d become well acquainted with. If not for him, she would have been long gone by now. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, he’d grown on her and she at least wanted to make sure he was alive. It wasn’t love or anything, or so she told herself. He was vital to her survival since he was the same species as Klaus.

She thought she might have been able to use him to break the moonstone curse in order to save herself from further persecution. So she allowed herself to become his mate in the hopes that he would die for her when she needed him to. Since Mason went missing, she needed a new accomplice and he was as good as any. But that plan would be shot to hell if he was dead.

A part of her felt as if she should be sad if he were to die. They were bonded after all, but it wasn’t as if she could feel it. Werewolves fed into their emotions too much, and while it bothered her, it usually came in handy when she needed it to.

“You want some?” a gruff, lumberjack-looking man held out the shredded rabbit to her. Her lip curled in disgust.

“I’ll pass,” she sneered as she stood. Careful to avoid rocks, she took off into the forest in the hopes of falling upon human prey. Living in the forest on and off for months hadn’t convinced her to live off human prey.

She stopped when she came across tents and a fire where people— _hybrids_ , she thought anxiously—were resting. She hopped behind a tree, praying they didn’t know she’d just infiltrated their camp. She peaked around the other side of the tree and she frowned when she saw her doppelganger and Ben sitting on a rock near a tent. A flare of jealously went through her and she listened in on their conversation.

“…hopefully she’s alive. She just escaped when Klaus came.”

“Where is she? If she’s with the pack that Tyler was with when he was learning how to break his sire bond then they can help us.”

“I don’t know where they would’ve gone. They have a witch with them named Pam. She specializes in shielding spells so we probably won’t find them unless she allows us to.”

“I need to get Jeremy to her. Maybe she can undo whatever Klaus did to him.”

Katherine frowned, wondering why Klaus would compel Elena’s brother of all people.

“I don’t know if she can. If Klaus’ compulsion was strong enough to twist his memories and dull the feelings of the bond then the damage may be irreversible. And he tricked Jeremy into breaking his own bond, which allowed one between him and Jeremy to start.”

“What do you mean?”

“Once a werewolf or the mate of one physically mates with someone else, the bond is not only broken, it starts a foundation for a new one. They usually don’t grow beyond that since werewolves don’t normally mate with others unless it’s by force but Jeremy’s case is different. The longer he stays with Klaus, the stronger their bond will become and his bond with Tyler will fade.”

“But I thought if a bond is broken that the mate will die?”

“Normally they do. But Jeremy’s been compelled to forget Tyler, so he may not feel the same loss that he does. And if he forms another bond, that might keep him alive.”

Katherine turned away from them, leaning against the tree with her mouth open. Klaus had feelings for Elena Gilbert’s _brother_? Since when did Klaus go for the other team? She shut it abruptly and smirked wickedly as a plan started forming in her head.

“Oh my God!” Elena gasped in horror. “If Jeremy doesn’t remember Tyler…they could both die. Tyler will definitely die!”

“Unless someone can unravel Jeremy’s memories.”

“Like a witch,” she grabbed Ben’s arm. “You have to take Jeremy to her, _please_. You don’t have to take me, but at least take him! Get him away from Klaus!”

“Elena he’ll kill you for suggesting it and me for doing it. And if he finds Marshall and his pack he’ll kill all of them too. I can’t risk their lives like that,” Ben said sadly. “I’m sorry.”

“Please,” she said desperately, sounding on the verge of tears. “Jeremy is the only family I have left! I can’t let him be with Klaus one more day if I can help it! You don’t have to take me, just him to the witch and see if she’ll fix him. Please!”

It was silent. Katherine didn’t have to look to know that Ben was considering Elena’s plea, which irked her. He knew he could die for this and it didn’t stop him from blindly accepting her doppelganger’s plea.

 _Stupid Elena_. _Why does everyone have to do anything for you?_

“I’ll take you both the first chance we get,” he said quietly.

“Thank you,” she breathed as she threw her arms around him. Katherine rolled her eyes. She waited a moment before jumping into the tree where she was safely hidden. She smirked when her eyes fell on the largest tent in the entire camp; that was where Klaus was keeping his new mate. Now that she knew Klaus had a weakness, the game changed in her favor. And she knew exactly how to cripple him.

* * *

“Tyler! Slow down!” Caroline screamed as she and the brothers did their best to keep up with the hybrid. Tyler ignored her, running as fast as he could in the direction that Bonnie directed them to Jeremy. His mate was alive, and he was getting him back no matter what.

There was a _whoosh_ and Damon appeared next to him, matching his speed. He pushed Tyler in the way of a tree and he stopped before he hit it.

“What the fuck are you doing? We need to catch them!” he snarled.

“And what exactly is your plan when we do catch them?” Damon quipped back. “He has an _entire_ army of hybrids waiting to attack us should we suddenly show up!”

“I don’t give a flying fuck about some fucking hybrid army!” Tyler seethed. “He has _my_ mate and I’m getting him back!”

Damon forced Tyler against the tree. Tyler struggled with all his might but his strength wasn’t up to par from the lack of blood.

“Let me go or I’ll kill you!” he snarled.

“You can’t even break free of me. I doubt you could,” Damon snarled back. “I’m trying to keep your scrawny ass alive so work with me Lockwood. How do you think Jeremy would feel if he had to watch Klaus’ hybrids rip you apart?”

Tyler immediately stopped struggling.

“We will get Jeremy back but we need to stay alive and in order to do that, we need a plan.”

Tyler let out a cry of frustration and slammed his head into the tree.

“I can’t take being away from him for another day!”

“I never said you had to wait a day. But we can’t just go running in there—we need a damn good plan,” Damon let him go. Stefan and Caroline appeared next to them.

“If there’re hybrids around the camp they can sense us,” Caroline ran a hand through her hair. “How are we supposed to sneak up on them?”

“Our best bet is to get them when they’re travelling. They may not be as on guard because they won’t know the area.”

“They’re hybrids. They’re always on guard,” Tyler rolled his eyes. “We need to infiltrate the camp without him knowing.”

“Well that’s pretty much impossible,” Damon said sarcastically. “If they’re new hybrids then maybe they’re not as in tune with their senses as Klaus. It might be easier to attack Klaus with a bunch of baby hybrids as his guards because they’ve never dealt with vampires. They don’t know what they can do to us.”

“But that’s only a guess. Suppose Klaus has been training them,” Stefan pointed out. “We shouldn’t under estimate them.”

“Why don’t we follow them and wait until nightfall?” Caroline suggested. “If most of them sleep, we could sneak in on them then.”

“And they’ll have to stop at some point. Elena and Jeremy will have to rest eventually.”

“That could work,” Damon mused. “Follow them until they rest, and then catch them while they’re setting up.”

Tyler nodded, feeling agitated and wanting nothing more than to hunt them now. He didn’t think he would be able to last another moment without Jeremy in his arms, but come nightfall, he would make damn sure he had him back.

* * *

“You think they’ll be able to get them back?” Matt asked as they continued to flip through pages of the old spell-books.

“Hopefully. I was only able to see where he was for a few seconds but I got a pretty clear picture of him, he’s definitely alive and so is Elena,” Bonnie turned another page. Her vision grew blurry and she shook her head to clear it.

“Now all we need is to stop Klaus somehow…is that even possible?” Matt wondered. “He’s an Original so aren’t they all kind of…immortal?”

“Well we got Kol down. If he can go, than Klaus can too, probably.”

“It’s probably different. He’s a werewolf too.”

“From what I’m finding, there aren’t many spells that can stop them that don’t require staking too. We just need one that…wait,” she paused as she read the spell on the page. “This is the one Damon and I were looking for. If either you or Jeremy or Alaric wears the Gilbert ring, we can stop your heart and have someone close enough to grab Klaus’ heart to stop it.”

“That sounds complicated,” Matt frowned. “And how would we get close enough to Klaus to stop it?”

“If we use Jeremy then it shouldn’t be—”

She screamed when a piercing pain went through her head. Matt jumped to his feet when she swayed.

“Bonnie!” he cried when he saw the blood coming from her nose and ears. The young witch blacked out before she could answer him.

* * *

Jeremy couldn’t sleep. Klaus’ arm around him was making him hot and suffocated, just like he’d been feeling for the past couple of days they’d been out here. His lover couldn’t seem to leave his side for five minutes and it was really starting to irk his nerves. It irked them so much that he couldn’t even enjoy their lovemaking tonight, when he just wished that it was over quickly so that he could be in peace with his thoughts.

He pushed Klaus’ arm off of him and left the tent. It was cold but he didn’t mind it much. The emptiness he felt in him was nearly as suffocating as Klaus, and he hated that there didn’t seem to be a source of it. The only thing that eased it was the dreams of the boy named Tyler he kept having.

He stumbled out into the woods and sat by a tree on the edge of the camp, breathing in the crisp night air. He stared out into the woods, trying to visualize him again. His jet black hair, smooth-looking tanned skin and fierce but warm brown eyes. Jeremy bit his lip, wishing he would materialize out of his imagination.

He heard noise in the tree above him and he stood in alarm. A figure hopped down and he was staring at his sister. He let out a laugh of relief.

“Jesus Elena, you scared me.”

“Did I now?” she smirked.

“Y-Yeah,” Jeremy frowned at how different she looked. Her hair was curled, and she wasn’t wearing a leather jacket from what he recalled. “What’s with the make-over?”

“You don’t really think Elena Gilbert and I have the same fashion tastes,” her nose scrunched briefly. “You’re losing your touch little Gilbert. You used to be able to tell us apart in seconds.”

His brow furrowed, “What’re you talking about?”

Elena, or whoever she was, rolled her eyes. “Did you hit your head, or do you really not remember who I am?”

Her eyes became black and veins appeared. She bared her fangs to him and he jumped backwards.

“What the hell Elena?” he cried. “Who turned you?”

“This is taking too long,” she grumbled. She rushed forward and snapped his neck, catching his body before he hit the ground. She tossed him over her shoulder and took off just as Ben came out of his tent.

“Damn it,” he sighed, rubbing a hand over his tired face. He knew she’d been waiting in the trees and he wanted to see her, but he supposed it was better that he didn’t. He was sure he wouldn’t be able to let her go again.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Jeremy groaned as he came to. He stared at the ceiling, and then wondered how it was possible he was staring at it when he’d been living in a tent.

He sat up slowly, becoming more alarmed when he didn’t recognize where he was. He was lying in someone’s bed that was next to a little kitchen and sharing the space of a small dining and living room.

“How are you feeling?” a voice to the left made him jump. His head whipped around and he stared at the woman addressing him. She had long, auburn hair, big round eyes and rosy cheeks.

“I was a little worried you wouldn’t wake. But she said you had a special ring on that would allow you to come back to this side.”

“I…who are you?” he asked.

“My name is Mya. She brought you to us.”

“Who?”

“She says her name is Katherine, but I don’t know if that’s true,” she went back into the kitchen and grabbed a plate. “Are you hungry?”

Jeremy nodded vigorously. Even though it was more rabbit, or some other forest critter, it was cooked well enough for him to forget what he was eating.

“Who is she? Why does she look like my sister?” Jeremy said through mouthfuls. “Why did she bring me here?”

“She claims that Klaus wants dead. She’s been running from him for 500 years.”

“And now that I have you, he’ll ensure my freedom to make sure you have your life,” Katherine walked in with a smirk. Mya growled.

“He isn’t a bargaining chip.”

“Yeah, yeah, he’s not really Klaus’ mate. Marshall informed me of his situation,” Katherine waved her hand. “And if he doesn’t want to go back to him, that’s not my problem. What matters to me is that Klaus stop chasing me in return for his life.”

Jeremy frowned, “What do you mean I’m not his mate?”

“Apparently he’s fried his brain too,” she leaned against the counter. “He thought I was Elena, even though I’m much prettier and nowhere near as pathetic.”

“What she means is Klaus compelled you to forget your memories,” Mya sat across from him. “Your real mate’s name is Tyler Lockwood.”

“Would he happen to be related to a Mason Lockwood?” Katherine interjected.

“Yes,” Mya shot her a glare. The brunette scoffed.

“I wonder how he feels about that.”

“Tyler Lockwood,” Jeremy muttered. He couldn’t remember, but the name sounded familiar. “Elena said the same thing.”

“Klaus forced you to forget him. You and Tyler have a deep emotional connection, a powerful bond,” she leaned forward, and Jeremy felt his head starting to get a little foggy. “You need to remember who he is, for his sake as much as yours.”

Jeremy blinked, “What do you mean?”

Mya cupped his face to steady him, “You need to remember who he is Jeremy.”

“What the hell are you doing?” he pushed away from the table. Mya blinked, momentarily startled.

“I don’t know what the hell you and her and my sister think this is, but I don’t know anyone named Tyler!” he snapped. “He doesn’t exist!”

“Klaus really did fry your brain,” Katherine whistled lowly. Mya shot her a dirty look.

“Jeremy,” she started slowly. “I know this must be confusing—”

“No, you have no idea!” he snapped. “My sister seems to remember more than I do about this Tyler and I can’t get her alone for even five minutes to ask her! I have holes in my memory—I don’t even remember why the hell I’m _in_ the damn forest to begin with or how I even got here! And every time I try to ask Klaus anything he tells me not to worry about it! Everyone is keeping secrets and telling me all this bullshit and I don’t know what to believe so no, you really have _no_ idea what it’s been like!”

“Well, let’s start with Elena being your cousin and not your sister. Remember that?” Katherine smirked.

“Yeah, I remember that,” he rolled his eyes. “What does that have to do with this?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to see just how much you’ve forgotten” her smirk grew.

“Why is Klaus chasing you?”

“Because I thwarted his ritual plans. He was going to sacrifice me in a spell needed to break the curse to unleash his werewolf side.”

“He’s a werewolf and you’re not dead.”

“Because he sacrificed Elena instead. But then John sacrificed himself for her in his final act of fatherly good deeds,” she sighed. “Don’t make me tell you your whole life story.”

Jeremy stared at her in alarm, “He _killed_ Elena?”

“He’s killed a lot of people. Klaus is the most powerful creature on this planet and he’s brutal because of it. He knows what he’s capable of, and he will do whatever it takes to get what he wants.

An older man with a full beard and moustache entered the motor home. Jeremy immediately felt calm when he entered. The emptiness in his chest that had lessened since hearing Tyler’s name disappeared momentarily when he saw him before it came back.

“Your name is Jeremy, correct?” he asked softly. He nodded.

“He fought my compulsion,” Mya whispered as she ran to him. “I don’t know what’s happening.”

“I do,” he kissed her forehead. “The bond between him and Tyler is broken and a new one is forming with Klaus.”

Mya gasped, her hands flying to her mouth as she stared at Jeremy in horror.

“I assume that’s…bad,” Katherine frowned.

“Very. Breaking a werewolf bond is the worst crime someone can commit against our kind. Werewolves have died from broken bonds and broken hearts. So have their mates if it was strong enough.”

“How could…how could he?” she whispered, sounding on the verge of tears. “The way Tyler talked about him…he’s crazy about him.”

“I have called on Pam. She’ll be here in the morning and she’ll be able to locate Tyler,” he kissed her forehead. “Let the boy rest.”

“Wait,” Jeremy called as they all made to leave. “He’s really real?”

“Tyler is real,” he confirmed. “And he’s been looking for you.”

“If I had a bond with him and it broke…would I feel anything?”

“It has been described as a pressing loneliness. An empty feeling or a constant feeling of dread,” Marshall said softly. Jeremy nodded and dropped back into his chair heavily, wondering how many secrets Klaus had been keeping from him.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

“We cannot let Klaus find him,” Marshall said quietly. “We have to hold off until Tyler comes.”

“And takes him away? I don’t think so,” Katherine snorted as she faced them. “Jeremy Gilbert is my leverage, and I’m not losing him to Mason Lockwood’s nephew.”

“He's Tyler’s mate!” Mya hissed. “He’s not going anywhere with you or with Klaus! He’s going back to where he belongs.”

“Jeremy goes where _I_ go,” she snarled dangerously. “And if Klaus shows up here, then Tyler should get his passport ready, because I will run everywhere with Jeremy until Klaus gives me what I want.”

She took off into the woods, Marshall and Mya watching her carefully.

“What do we do?” Mya whispered.

“We wait until morning,” Marshall sighed. “Then hopefully we find Tyler and reunite them.”


	15. Chapter 15

When Klaus awoke that morning he immediately knew something was wrong, starting with Jeremy not being next to him. He quickly pulled on his clothes and ran outside, heart pounding when he didn’t see him in the vicinity of the camp. He barked for two of his hybrids outside to search the perimeters of their camp while he took to the trees for an overhead view and nearly ripped out their throats when they returned without him.

 _Where the fuck is he?_ He paced for hours as he thought about where Jeremy would’ve gone and with whom. The better question was why. His first thought was Tyler, but he was supposed to be dead.

He paused when Elena came out her tent with Ben. They were whispering and his eyes narrowed in on them before he appeared in front of them.

“Where is he?” he growled to Elena. He grabbed her around her throat and lifted her into the air. “Tell me where he is and I won’t break your neck!”

“I—I don’t know! I haven’t seen him!” she kicked her legs as her hands went to Klaus’. “Please—can’t breathe!”

He dropped her unceremoniously and grabbed Ben next.

“I know you were plotting to take him the pack I’m looking for! Where are they?”

Ben shook his head, “You’ll never find them.”

Klaus snarled in absolute fury and kneed him in the stomach before twisting and ripping his head clean off his shoulders. The blood sprayed all over Elena and she screamed in pure terror as Klaus threw his head into the forest, the rest of his body crumpling to the ground.

            **x** **oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

“They’re close. I think I can hear them,” Tyler muttered as they rested on the hill above a cluster of trees. “They might know we’re here.”

“They might,” Damon shrugged as he looked down. “Klaus hasn’t sent any of them after us, so we’re good for now.”

“Getting into their camp is nearly impossible! How are we supposed to catch hybrids off guard if they can sense _everything_?” Caroline exasperated. “We’ll die before we get within 10 feet!”

“We may, or we may not Blondie. No one can be alert all the time.”

“Klaus is,” Stefan muttered. A loud scream in the distance caught their attention. The four shot up when they recognized it.

“Elena!” Stefan cried as he hopped from the cliff. He took off before Damon or Caroline could pull him back.

“Goddamn it Stefan!” Damon snapped as he took off after him. Caroline and Tyler followed closely behind. Before long, they could see the camp, and Damon doubled his efforts to catch his brother before he gave them away. Caroline was quicker, and grabbed Stefan before he ran into plain sight.

“Do _not_ make a sound,” Damon hissed as he clapped a hand over his brother’s mouth. Tyler appeared beside them, and looked beyond the trees where he saw Elena being held hostage between two hybrids. Terrified tears ran down her face as Klaus shouted at her.

“Tell me where they are or I will break both your arms and legs! Do not play with me Elena!”

“I don’t know where he is, I swear!” she sobbed in fear, her tears mixing in with the blood on her face. “I haven’t seen him since yesterday!”

“You’re lying! This is your last chance before I start breaking bones!”

“I _don’t know_!” she shrieked as she struggled in vain. “I don’t know where he is—please don’t do this!”

Stefan struggled against both vampires, the fear and desperation in his eyes wild. Tyler’s eyes narrowed in on his childhood friend and the man who made his life hell and he crouched low.

“Very well. I guess we’ll be starting with your fingers like last time,” he motioned to the hybrid on her left. “Do all of them and then her wrist.”

“ _No! No please, please!_ ”

“Let her go, now!”

Tyler growled when Klaus turned to face him. He could feel Stefan and Damon on either side of him and Caroline behind him ready to attack.

“You’re still alive,” his surprise was clear in his voice. “How are you not dead?”

“Put her _down_!” he snarled ferociously. Klaus composed himself and sneered at them.

“Or what?” he hissed. “There’s only four of you and twenty of them.”

“Let her go before you’re down to one,” Damon sneered. Klaus laughed cruelly.

“I’m surprised you’re still alive. No matter, you’ll meet your ends today,” he bared his fangs and the other hybrids took the hint to do the same. “I don’t need to remind you that one werewolf bite is all that it takes to poison you and only my blood is the cure.”

“Where’s Jeremy?” Tyler snarled as he looked around for his mate.

“He disappeared in the middle of the night, no thanks to his sister,” he spat. “She knows _exactly_ where he is. And if you hadn’t interrupted I would be on the way to getting _my_ mate.”

“He’s _not_ yours,” Tyler hissed. Klaus smirked.

“I think he is. After all, it is my name that he calls out when I’m inside him.”

Tyler saw red and lunged for him. Klaus crashed into Elena and the two hybrids holding her and they all fell into the tree behind them. Tyler easily decapitated the two before Klaus was swinging him to the left. The remaining hybrids leapt for Stefan, Damon and Caroline and they held them off as best they could, ripping out hearts and tearing off heads one by one.

Tyler growled as Klaus kneed him in the stomach before throwing him head-first into the ground. He snarled and made to attack him again when a thick, blond woman stood in front of him, growling with her fangs bared to him. He snarled in response and made to lunge for her when Caroline caught him in a bear hug, her eyes completely black and the veins around her eyes noticeable. He squirmed but she didn’t relinquish her hold.

The woman dove for them but Caroline moved out of the way in time. She rounded back and prepared to attack again when Damon was suddenly on her and yanking her head back by her hair, ripping out her throat and throwing her body to the side.

“Get him out of here!” he nodded to Tyler. Caroline rewrapped her arms around him and took off before he could protest.

* * *

When Jeremy awoke again, it was morning. This time when he sat up, he was greeted by a black woman with shimmering black hair that fell to her waist. She wore a green dress that flowed to her feet and her arm was covered in gold bracelets. Large gold hoops rested on her ears.

“Who are you?” he asked wearily.

“My name is Pam. I’m a witch,” her voice held a thick island accent. “You have been tampered.”

“Excuse me?”

“Your memories have been messed up. There all kinds of holes in there. I’m not sure if I can fix it.”

“Were you…watching me sleep?”

She nodded, “I looked into your memories. I tried to make you see the memories of your old life but they’re too twisted. This will require a lot of magic.”

She left before he could ask her anymore.

“Well?” Mya asked quietly.

“Klaus changed many things, even some of his core values,” she shook her head. “I don’t know if I can fix it all. Where is the other one, his mate?”

“We don’t know,” Marshall sighed. “He said he lived in Mystic Falls, but Jeremy’s been out here for days.

“He must be out here too,” Mya said desperately. “You can find him, can’t you Pam?”

“Do you have anything of his?”

They shook their heads. She sighed.

“Let me see what I can do.”

* * *

“What the hell happened to her?” Matt asked as he sat next to Bonnie’s bed.

“She overused her magic, like I knew she would. I should’ve stopped her,” Abbey said tearfully. “It was too much using that one spell. She’s nowhere near that strong yet.”

“Is she…” he looked away, not able to finish the words.

“No. It’s more of a magic coma. When witches over use their power, their body shuts down so it can recover the magic lost. If she’d done another spell after this, she probably would be dead. This is a defense mechanism to ensure that she keep the remaining magic she has left.”

“How do we wake her?”

“We don’t. It takes years to recover the amount of magic she used for that spell,” she sighed shakily as she wiped her tears. “She might not wake up at all."

* * *

Stefan sighed as he traveled along the river bank, adjusting Elena on his back as he ran as quickly as he could. The moment the fight started, he grabbed her and took off before any more damage was done. He felt guilty about leaving the others but he knew they would fight better without him being a distraction.

He traveled in the direction he believed the hybrid pack to be, but he couldn’t be sure since he hadn’t seen anyone he didn’t know. He stopped near a waterfall when Elena groaned and moved her limp arms around his neck.

“Stefan,” she sighed against his neck. “Thank God.”

“You okay?” he set her down and looked her over. “Did he break anything?”

“Not this time,” she moaned in pain when she touched the back of her head.

“You have a concussion,” he said softly before cutting his wrist with his teeth. She took it gratefully. They watched his wrist heal in silence when she’d had her fill.

“Where’s everyone else?”

“I had to get you away from the fight before they accidentally killed you,” he murmured as he looked down. She took his face in her hands.

“If you hadn’t come when you did…” she shook her head and pressed their foreheads together.

“I know,” he whispered before kissing her. They indulged in each other for comfort for a few moments and rejoiced at their reunion.

“I missed you so much,” he whispered as he pulled her into his arms. “I didn’t think we’d ever find you.”

“It was hell without you. Jeremy was a wreck and—Jeremy!” she pulled away. “Someone took him last night!”

“In the forest?”

“I don’t know! Klaus hasn’t seen him at all and he sleeps in his tent! He thinks I sent him with the hybrid pack he’s trying to find but I don’t know where they are. No one knows.”

She shook her head, tears forming in her eyes, “What if he’s dead Stefan?”

“What if he just ran away?”

“He wouldn’t do that. He tried it once, and Klaus threatened to kill me. He threatened to kill him if I ran.”

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Stefan reassured, not feeling as confident as he felt. “Damon and the others might have found him and the werewolf pack.”

“Can you call them?”

“No reception over here.”

Elena ran her hands through her hair, “I’m scared Stefan. What if he’s hurt or he’s lost or he’s dying or—”

“Hey. Jeremy is fine,” Stefan cupped her face. “He’s probably running around the forest looking for us right now. And you know Tyler wouldn’t let anything happen to him.”

“Yeah,” she gave him a small smile. He put her on his back and they scaled down the waterfall.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

“Christ,” Damon snapped as his call went to Stefan’s voicemail again. “There aren’t that many trees in this damn forest!”

“Where the hell are we?” Caroline looked around for the twentieth time and realized, still, that it all looked the same. “We’ve been walking for hours!”

“No shit Blondie. It’s called being lost,” he snapped. She rolled her eyes.

“Someone’s cranky.”

“You truly are skilled at pointing out the obvious.”

“Don’t you have GPS on your phone?”

“Oh yeah, let me just put in the cross streets of where we are!” he exasperated. “I swear Blondie, I don’t know how you’re going to make it to college. You’re the least street smart person I’ve ever met.”

“Shut-up Damon,” Tyler sighed tiredly.

“The hybrid speaks, finally,” he scoffed. “I thought Klaus might’ve snatched out your tongue.”

“I would’ve snatched his throat if you guys hadn’t stopped me!”

“You would be dead right now if it weren’t for us, so you’re welcome,” Damon retorted. “I guess being grateful would kill you.”

He stopped walking abruptly when a figure hopped down from a nearby tree and landed in front of him.

“Great,” he deadpanned when Katherine smirked at him. “You’re the last fucking person I want to deal with on top of everything else.”

“It’s nice to see you too Damon,” she waved at Caroline and Tyler sarcastically. They both tensed.

“What the fuck are you doing out _here_ of all places?” Damon’s eyes narrowed. “You’re working with Klaus, aren’t you?”

“Do I look like an idiot? The next time I’m anywhere near Klaus, I’ll have my heart resting by my head,” she rolled her eyes. “I thought we could help each other out.”

“With _what_? How could you help us right now?”

“I lead you to the hybrid pack, and you distract Klaus while I escape.”

“And die in the process,” Damon scoffed. “No thanks. We’ll find it ourselves.”

“Fine. I’ll be he’ll do it. They have something of his,” she nodded at Tyler. He perked up.

“You know where Jeremy is?”

Instead of answering she took off into the forest. Tyler followed her immediately, his heart pounding at the thought of seeing his beloved again. He could hear Caroline calling for him but he didn’t dare slow down, not when the possibility of seeing Jeremy again was moments away.

He followed her for ten minutes but it felt like hours to him. He began to wonder if it was a trick when she suddenly stopped in the middle of a clearing. Tyler came to a halt next to her and took in the sight of a few trailers scattered around and a pit that was probably used for a fire. There were a few hybrids scattered, their heads turning to stare at him and Katherine.

“Where—?”

He stopped when he felt a warm tingle in his chest. He gasped as he recognized the feeling of being able to sense Jeremy. He was here. He was _alive_.

“Jeremy?” he cried as he ran to the trailer he could sense him in. He threw the door open and stopped when he saw him sitting on someone’s bed. His heart pounded when he raised his head and he was looking into the beautiful brown eyes he loved.

“Jeremy,” he breathed as he staggered closer. He stood as well and Tyler felt all breath stolen from him. He took a tentative step forward, then another, and another until he was in front of him, entranced by the doe-like eyes he thought he would never gaze into again. Jeremy’s chest heaved as he kept his eyes on him.

The hybrid raised a hand to the soft, pale cheek, sparks shooting through his hand to his whole body from the contact. Jeremy seemed to be just as entranced as he, eyes getting impossibly wider as Tyler leaned in closer and closer until their lips met.

It was like an explosion happened in Jeremy’s brain. Visions sped through his brain at an alarming rate. He saw himself standing in the woods by his home, laughing at a boy, running away from him and being caught, rolling down a grassy hill until they stopped, more rolling around in the grass, swimming at the lake, playful kissing, pleasured moans, a hand caressing his face, small discrete smiles at school, eating ice-cream and smashing it in his face with laughter, his sister smiling with Stefan, his Aunt Jenna sitting on the couch with Alaric, a ballroom, dancing with Klaus, being held in the air by someone, Elena next to him and a name breathed from his lips.

 _Tyler_.

Jeremy pushed him away when he realized what was happening. Tyler stumbled into the counter, caught off guard. Jeremy staggered away from him and wound up falling back on the bed. His breathing was harsh and his head was pounding as the visions continued to cycle through his mind.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

Tyler stared at him, dread starting to override the previous elation he felt upon seeing the love of his life alive.

“Jer, it’s me,” he said softly. “It’s Tyler.”

Jeremy’s mouth fell open, “ _You’re_ Tyler?”

Tyler nodded slowly, “Don’t you remember me?”

He shook his head slowly.

“I…I have no idea who you are,” he said quietly. “I’ve never known anyone named Tyler.”

Tyler felt tears spring to his eyes, his wolf whining at the indirect rejection of his mate. He should have known finding Jeremy alive and well was too good to be true.

“Jeremy, you know me,” he said desperately. “I’m your boyfriend. We’ve been together since last summer. Don’t you remember any of that?”

“I don’t,” he whispered as he shook his head. He couldn’t explain why he felt sad all of a sudden. The lump in Tyler’s throat threatened to choke him. How Klaus managed to make Jeremy forget everything about him, he didn’t know. His heart broke as Jeremy stared at him with confusion rather than with the love he was used to and he turned away as a tear fell.

“I’m sorry,” Jeremy said pleadingly. “I…I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I have holes in my memory and pretty much nothing makes sense right now. If I knew you before…I ended up here, then maybe…you could tell me what I’m doing here.”

Tyler made sure he was composed before speaking, “What do you remember?”

Loud growls from outside cut him off. They ran outside and stopped at the sight of Klaus and his army of hybrids behind him.


	16. Chapter 16

“There you are love!” Klaus called jovially, his smile faltering at seeing Tyler. “I’ve been so worried about you!”

Marshall, Maya and others from their pack were crouched low, prepared to fight or flee. Jeremy gasped when he saw his sister with Stefan, along with Damon and a blond girl.

“Elena!” he cried as he ran to her. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Jer, thank God!” she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. “I was so worried!”

“Why are you with them?” he spat as he glared at Stefan. “After everything they did—!”

“Jer,” she grabbed his face. “Jeremy, listen to me. What he told you about Stefan and Damon is wrong. They came to help us.”

“Don’t listen to her Jeremy,” Klaus warned as he moved further into the camp. “Stefan’s compelled her. Don’t listen to what she says.”

The brother’s gave him dirty looks.

“He’s lying!” Elena shook her head. “Jer, listen to _me_ , alright? I’m your sister! I would _never_ lie to you!”

“Right, just like the time you compelled him to forget his first love when she was turned into a vampire,” Klaus grinned. They gaped at him.

“How do you know about that?” Jeremy asked suspiciously.

“You told me. You tell me everything, love.”

“And you tell me everything?” Jeremy folded his arms.

“Of course! There’re no secrets between us!”

“Then why did you lie about Tyler? You _said_ he wasn’t real, and here he is,” Jeremy’s voice grew hard as he gestured to the hybrid behind him. “And from what I can see, Stefan and Damon clearly don’t want my sister dead.”

Klaus looked at each of them and realized that he was stuck in a corner. He hadn’t anticipated that they would find them in the woods, or that he would have to explain the lies he told.

“Jeremy,” Elena turned his head to her. “Listen to me, okay? Stefan, Damon, Caroline and Tyler came to get us. They want to take us home to Mystic Falls where we still live. Stefan and I never broke up, and neither of them wants to kill us. They came to help Tyler find you because you’re his mate.”

“Stop talking Elena,” Klaus warned.

“What the hell have you done to him?” Tyler growled.

“I fixed him.” Klaus’ smirk seemed permanently stuck on his face. “I erased those horrible memories you gave him when you would beat him senseless and call him those God-awful names.”

“You twisted son-of-a-bitch!” Tyler cried. “Did you even think about what would happen to _him_ if you broke our bond? You’re not just killing me Klaus, you’re killing him too! You can’t separate soul mates and expect one of them to live!”

Jeremy stared at Tyler, taking in his handsome, fierce face and his words, and he felt something stir inside of him. He felt warm when he looked at him, he felt complete when he was around and he’d only been around him for ten minutes. Despite not being able to remember him, he couldn’t deny that he felt a connection, emotional and otherwise.

“Is that true? Did you take me from him?” Jeremy asked Klaus with a small voice.

“I _saved_ you! Tyler is obsessed with you! He only kept you around because you were his punching bag!” Klaus bellowed furiously. Jeremy took a step back in alarm. “They’re trying to set you against me Jeremy! This is their plan—that’s why we had to run!”

“Jer,” Tyler murmured and he turned around. “I know you’re confused, but I know you feel something too. We hated each other at first, but we became friends and we fell in love. I know you don’t remember that now, but you once told me you always felt something for me even when you associated it with hate. And you still feel it, don’t you?”

“Jeremy, get away from him!” Klaus barked.

“I know you better than anyone. I can tell you anything you want to know,” he murmured. “Believe what we’re telling you.”

Jeremy stared at him for a few moments before nodding, “Okay.”

Klaus let out a low growl and took a step towards Jeremy, his hybrids mimicking him and everyone else immediately taking a step back. Tyler stepped protectively in front of him.

“Step away from him Tyler,” he snarled. “Don’t forget what happened that night in the woods. You challenged me and you lost! You don’t get to take him back!”

“It doesn’t matter that I lost. Jeremy was never a part of any deal that I made with you!” he snarled. “I was never fighting you to win him; I was fighting you to keep him safe!”

“Which you clearly failed at,” he sneered. “Jeremy is no longer your mate, so hand him back before I kill you and everyone else.”

Jeremy stared at Klaus, hardly recognizing the man who called himself his mate. Right now he was treating him like he was some sort of prize. But he could recognize when Klaus was angry and he unconsciously grabbed at Tyler’s arm.

“Don’t hurt him,” he pleaded. “Klaus, please, you don’t need to hurt any of them.”

Klaus growled, “Jeremy, come here.”

“Jeremy, stay,” Tyler turned to him. “Don’t go back with him. Please.”

“Enough!” Klaus roared. He charged for them, his hybrids immediately following his lead. Stefan and Damon met him halfway, Stefan forcing Elena backwards before the hybrids could reach her. Caroline immediately grabbed her best friend and took off for the woods, Tyler following suit with Jeremy after ripping out the hearts of two hybrids. Marshall and his pack sprang into action; some fighting; some fleeing as hybrids chased them.

“Should we wait?” Caroline panted when they were a good distance from the fight.

“They’ll come after us. We need to move,” Tyler turned to Jeremy. “We need to get somewhere safe.”

Jeremy stared at him unseeingly as he was assaulted by another memory.

_He stared into the loving brown eyes as he gently ran a hand through the soft brown hair. He smiled with his straight white teeth that stood out against smooth skin and he bumped his nose against the others._

_“You’re beautiful,” he murmured as he kissed his lips. “So, so beautiful.”_

_“You’re not so bad yourself,” he grinned cheekily. He chuckled and kissed his cheek._

_“I love you Jer.”_

_He beamed, “I love you too Ty.”_

Jeremy shook his head, blinking rapidly and staggered backwards from him.

“Jer, you alright?” he asked gently. Jeremy nodded.

“You and I…we’re really soul mates?”

“Yes. I promise I’ll explain everything when we get somewhere safe,” he kissed the back of his hand and it sent tingles up his arm. “I just need you to trust me.”

“Okay,” he agreed immediately. He knew he would be safer with Tyler than with Klaus at this point. The hybrid smiled when he grabbed his hand and he couldn’t help returning it.

* * *

Matt sighed and looked at the clock again. Another hour passed and Bonnie still hadn’t moved. They spent hours looking through every spell-book for some kind of answer and came up empty handed. It wasn’t fair, he decided, that Bonnie was paying the price for only trying to help.

“Matt? You should eat something,” Abbey said softly from the doorway. Matt shook his head.

“I’m not hungry,” he muttered, eyes never leaving Bonnie’s still form.

“Sitting here won’t help her. She wouldn’t want you to not take care of yourself.”

“I just feel so useless. That monster’s hurt all of us and he’s still out there while she’s fighting for her life,” he dropped his head in his hands. “There has to be _some_ way to wake her up. She can’t stay like this.”

“If we knew a witch, they would know how to resupply her magic…but Esther is gone and there aren’t any other witches in this town.”

“Maybe Damon and Stefan know.” Matt loathed the idea of calling Damon and telling him what happened to Bonnie but they were running out of options. At this rate, it was either find another witch or letting Bonnie sleep forever.

He sensed Abbey felt the same way and she pulled out Bonnie’s cell-phone and handed it to him.

“I just hope he doesn’t kill us,” he said grimly as he dialed Damon’s number.

* * *

Tyler and the others traveled for a little more than half a day. They stopped after a while when Elena started to feel woozy from her concussion and Jeremy begged them to let her rest. Tyler wanted to put as much space between them and Klaus as possible but conceded to let the doppelganger rest for a few moments.

Elena had insisted they continue after about twenty minutes and she was hoisted onto Caroline’s back while Jeremy was lifted into Tyler’s arms and they continued looking for their friends and Marshall’s pack. Caroline suddenly stopped just before a clearing.

“Care—”

“Shh!” she hissed. Tyler stood still for a few moments, Jeremy’s head still resting on his shoulder from where he fell asleep.

“Do you hear that?”

He listened intently, “Yeah…where—?”

“Here,” Stefan appeared next to Caroline and she jumped three feet back with a startled yelp.

“Don’t do that!” she exclaimed as he laughed. She let Elena down and she immediately ran into his arms and he crushed her to him, burying his nose in her hair.

“I smell gross,” she said against his neck.

“No you don’t,” he murmured as he kissed her hard. Tyler watched them longingly for a moment before shifting Jeremy in his arms and pressing a light kiss to his forehead. Damon coughed to get their attention.

“We found Marshall’s pack…or at least what’s left of them.”

“Good. We need to get out of the open,” Tyler said urgently.

“I have something to take care of,” Damon said cryptically and he disappeared the next moment. Caroline frowned.

“Where’s he going?”

“Matt called. Something happened to Bonnie,” Stefan said solemnly.

“Is she alright? She’s not hurt is she?” the blonde cried.

“I don’t know. The look on his face…it wasn’t good,” Stefan said solemnly. “Let’s get back to the pack. Their witch is going to hide us from Klaus.”

“Then how’ll Damon find us?”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“Hope she’s okay,” Elena murmured as they took off again.

Twenty minutes later they found what was left of the hybrids. Marshall and Maya were gathered with the others in the center of camp as they tried to plan their next move. When they made their presence known Marshall greeted them. His gaze turned to Tyler and then Jeremy and he smiled sympathetically.

“Is there a way?” Tyler said quietly.

“Pam looked into his memories. She said whatever Klaus did twist them severely.”

Tyler felt a lump in his throat. He caught sight of the witch standing just a few feet away and brought Jeremy to her.

“Please,” he whispered. “Whatever you can do, help him.”

She nodded and lifted the flap of the tent, “Set him on that cot in the corner. I’m getting the ingredients for a potion that should help.”

Tyler laid the boy down on the cot and pulled back just to look at him. He was beautiful as ever; his features were soft in his sleep. It reminded him of when he first realized Jeremy was his one. He caressed his face gently and sighed.

“Come back to me,” he pleaded to the sleeping boy. “I miss you so much.”

“You,” Pam pointed to Elena and Stefan. “Your brother is Damon Salvatore.”

“Yes,” he murmured suspiciously. “Why?”

She ignored his question and looked over Elena, “The doppelganger lives, I see.”

“How did you know?”

“Doppelgangers are a supernatural occurrence. Witches around the world know of them,” she narrowed her eyes. “And of vampires.”

Elena wrapped her arm around Stefan tighter. She chuckled before turning serious.

“The boy’s memories have been tampered. I looked into his memories and dreams. The bond he had has been broken and a new one is taking place.”

Caroline frowned, “What does that mean?”

“It means it may be harder to fix the memories of the past. The new bond is fresh enough to be broken without having pain and the old one can be restored, only if Klaus does not find us. The longer he is away from him, the weaker their bond will become until it breaks.”

“They must be in so much pain,” Mya said sadly. “How was Klaus able to create a bond with him so quickly?”

“The manner in which the bond was broken is the reason. The boy mated with Klaus physically, and the connection gave way for a new bond to form.”

She gave them all a hard look, “Klaus will realize when the bond breaks and it will anger him. Prepare yourselves for any kind of attack. He cannot find us now, but that does not mean he won’t be looking.”

The other’s look at the tent, watching as Tyler stepped out from the flap. When Pam disappeared into the woods for more herbs, Marshall broke the silence.

“Tyler, she can fix it,” he said softly. “It can go back to the way it was.”

He nodded but didn’t answer. The grief and pain on his face was brighter than the sun and they each felt sympathy for him.

“Tyler…” Caroline started softly.

“It’s not true,” he snapped. “Jeremy would never do that. He wouldn’t…it’s not like him!”

“We’re not saying it is,” she whispered, feeling tears in her eyes. “Klaus tricked him, it’s not his fault.”

He gripped his hair hard, “It’s _not_ true Caroline! It broke because Klaus made him forget me!”

“Tyler, there’s only three ways for it to break. You know that,” Stefan said softly.

“Shut the fuck up! What would you know about any of this?” Tyler screamed at him. “He’s not like that! How could you think that about him?”

He turned furious eyes to Elena, “He’s your fucking brother for Christ’s sake!”

“We’re not saying that Jeremy’s a cheater,” the brunette said with falling tears. “He was tricked. He didn’t know any better.”

Tyler shook his head vehemently, “No. I don’t care what the hell she told you, it’s not true.”

“He didn’t do it on purpose,” Stefan muttered, his heart going out to the werewolf. “He was compelled into believing he loved Klaus. This isn't his fault. Nor is it yours.”

Tyler shook his head desperately as his whole body trembled. The others stared at him with pity and he hated all of them in that moment. They had no idea how broken he was, how could they? They’d never felt the way he did about Jeremy, they didn’t know how much he loved him, how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. They had no idea what it was like to lose him, to mourn him, to think that his entire existence was for nothing or to beg for death just for the chance of seeing him again.

He let out a noise between a moan and a sob and ran into the woods. Caroline made to follow him but Stefan grabbed her arm.

“Leave him alone. He needs time to process this.”

“I don't think we should. He's fragile right now.”

“He's been fragile Caroline,” he muttered. “Let him come to terms with this on his own.”

* * *

“How long has she been like this?” Damon asked in a deadened tone as he stared at Bonnie’s still form.

Abbey sighed, “A couple of days. We tried everything to wake her up.”

“How could you let her overuse her magic? She’s your daughter! You’re supposed to be looking out for her!” Damon snapped at her.

“I tried to stop her! I told her she couldn’t use more than what she had but she insisted and insisted and she—she just had to save her friends,” Abbey watched her daughter with tears in her eyes. “Not even vampire blood works for this.”

“Of course it doesn’t,” Damon said bitterly.

“Hey man, don’t blame her,” Matt started.

“And what the hell did you try to do to prevent this? Nothing you moron! You didn’t stop her either—neither one of you did!”

“It’s not like we could make her! She can make her own decisions!”

“Not if it kills her!” Damon snarled. He closed his eyes and took in deep breaths even though he didn’t need to breathe.

“Is there a way—some magical way—to restore her magic?”

“If we can find another witch, a powerful one, they might be able to give her magic a boost and she could recover the rest.”

“There’s a witch in the woods with the pack Tyler was living with,” he scooped Bonnie into his arms and turned to the other two. “Klaus is on the move so you two should hide yourselves. Get out of town if you can.”

He was gone in a flash, leaving Abbey and Matt to stare at his vacant spot.

* * *

Tyler felt like he had been running forever and he didn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He stopped in front of a large lake, the full moon shining brightly. He sat by the shore and fought to keep his tears in.

Jeremy didn’t break their bond on purpose, he _knew_ that. Klaus tricked him into breaking it willingly, that wasn’t his mate’s fault. But he couldn’t stop from howling to the moon when he thought about how Jeremy gave himself so fully to someone else, to the person who made their lives hell.

Even though Klaus broke their bond, he couldn’t just break Klaus’ bond with Jeremy. That was against nature and would probably hurt Jeremy, something he couldn’t bring himself to do. Klaus was a threat to him, his mate, his pack and his life and he couldn’t even beat him in a fight. Maybe that was a sign that really wasn’t worthy to be Jeremy’s mate after all.

His face crumpled and he broke down, letting out loud, broken sobs. Losing Jeremy had been his worst fear and it came true. He lost the most important person in his life and it was his fault. There was no one for him to break but himself.

There was rustling in the trees, indicating another person was near and he wiped his eyes furiously, determined not to let anyone see him in his moment of weakness. He repressed a howl of frustration and dug his fingers into the ground to rein in his emotions. He sat up just as Maya sat next to him, the silence between them was one of a calm sadness.

“Jeremy was yours first. The bond between him and Klaus will break eventually,” she murmured without taking her eyes off the lake.

“And then what?” Tyler said quietly. “Klaus will never stop hunting us. And Jeremy doesn’t even remember me or anything about his life. And they….”

He trailed off, nauseated at the thought of Klaus taking advantage of his mate the way he had. He wished nothing but a painful death on that bastard.

“How could I let this happen to him, to us?” he whispered mournfully. “If he does remember, how am I supposed to tell him what happened? How are we supposed to move past that?”

“You tell him that you love him no matter what. You tell him that despite all this, you want this to last, that you will do everything in your power to make him safe and secure again,” she rubbed his back. “This isn’t your fault Tyler, and Jeremy would have _never_ done those things if he knew the truth.”

“It is,” he whispered, one tear escaping and he closed his eyes to try warding off more.

“No, hun, it’s not. I promise you that Jeremy will find a way back to you. Your bond was strong and pure. He’ll find a way, you both will.”

As Tyler stared at the lake with a deadened gaze, he prayed with everything in him that that was true.


	17. Chapter 17

_Jeremy leaned against the tree and passed the blunt to Tyler. He heard the other boy take about three hits before passing it back. He ignored the tingle he felt when their fingers brushed and stared out at the open lake._

_“Why did we fight so much?” he asked. “I don’t think I even hated you.”_

_“We were bored,” Tyler said with a laugh, unconsciously scooting closer to the boy next to him. “There’s nothing better to do in this town but go to The Grill and pick fights.”_

_“Or have parties in the woods but those are getting kind of old,” he chuckled._

_Tyler snorted, “The only reason we have those is to get drunk and get laid.”_

_“Or get high if you’re me.”_

_“The old you,” Tyler gave him a look. “I thought you stopped doing all that shit?”_

_“I did,” he sighed. “It really wasn’t that fun. I only did it because I just wanted to fit in somewhere.”_

_“Well, you fit with me,” Tyler smirked. He couldn’t stop himself from feeling a flutter in his heart at the words. Lately, he’d been feeling strange things around Tyler and while they weren’t unwelcomed, he wasn’t sure how the older boy would take it. He’d caught himself flirting with him a couple of times but tried his hardest to hold back so he wouldn’t make a fool out of himself._

_Tyler smiled at him and he felt his heart skip a beat._

_“I’m glad we stopped fighting. I prefer you as my friend than being your bully.”_

_He smiled back. “I’m glad too.”_

Jeremy opened his eyes blearily. That was the third dream he’d had with Tyler and it made him feel just as warm as the other two. Something about these dreams seemed familiar, almost as if they’d happened before. But he just couldn’t remember when or even how.

“You’re awake. Good,” Pam knelt next to him with a cup in her hand. “Drink this.”

Jeremy looked at it wearily before taking it down. He nearly winced at how bitter it was.

“That should help the headaches,” she murmured as she took back the cup. “It’s too risky to use just magic to undo the compulsion since there are bonds involved. That makes it tricky.”

“How long have I been asleep?”

“A few hours. You have been in and out of sleep because of my potion. I need you unconscious so I can look into your memories and determine which ones are real and which ones Klaus gave you.”

“How could he give me memories?”

“Only a powerful compulsion could do that. And Klaus is the most powerful vampire there is,” she sighed. “It is harder because you have a bond with him, but it is getting weaker. Soon it will be gone.”

Jeremy wondered why he didn’t feel more upset by this. If he were to be completely honest with himself, he didn’t miss Klaus at all. He was relieved to finally have space from his mate and be with his sister again.

 _He’s not your mate_.

“Klaus isn’t my mate, is he?”

“No. He took you from someone else.”

“From Tyler,” he said quietly. “Why would he do that?”

“Klaus believes he is entitled to whatever he wants. There is no one powerful enough to stop him yet, so he treats the world as if it were a playground. He doesn’t not care about upsetting the balance of nature or breaking her rules.”

He hummed, “I always felt so empty when I was with him. Even though he was…or he said he was my mate, I couldn’t help but feel as if it weren’t true.”

“Because deep in your subconscious, you know that you belong with your true mate. Your bond with Tyler is not completely gone and can be mended.”

“Oh. That’s good, I guess,” he frowned. He didn’t even know Tyler, much less know of their bond. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to bond with someone he didn’t remember.

“You know, you remind me of someone,” he murmured as he looked at her. A vision of a kind face and warm green eyes flashed through his mind.

“There will be a lot of things that remind you of your past. That will be normal.”

“None of this is normal,” he snorted. “I don’t even remember how I got out here.”

“I’m sure Klaus had something to do with that. Your friends said he took you and your sister from Mystic Falls after he killed your aunt and burned your house down.”

“Yeah, that much I figured was a lie. He said Stefan and Damon were trying to kill us and they’re both in love with my sister,” he sighed and ran his hands over his face. “I know I’m supposed to love him, but Klaus is a dick.”

Pam laughed, “Very much so.”

“Is Tyler anything like him?”

“From what I’m seeing, no,” she said honestly. “Tyler loves you very much. He has fought long and hard to find you, and will continue fighting for you until you are his again.”

Jeremy knew she was telling the truth. He felt as if she was telling him what he already knew. When he first met Tyler, he knew there was a connection between them, which made sense as to why Klaus didn’t want him to know about him. And it made sense as to why Klaus was always smothering him, and making sure he would never leave him, and constantly telling him he loved him to get a reaction.

“What you and Tyler have is very real,” she murmured as she handed him another cup. “And it will not be long before you realize that too. The love you have for each other is strong and pure. That kind of memory cannot be erased.”

Jeremy drank the potion silently and laid back down. He thought about Pam’s words as he fell into another sleep and another dream about Tyler surfaced.

* * *

Elena, Caroline and Stefan were talking quietly on the log of a fallen tree when Stefan’s cellphone rang. He immediately answered, knowing who it was.

“Damon? Is Bonnie alright?”

“No. Where are you?” he snapped.

“You won’t be able to see us. Pam put a spell in place to protect the hybrids—”

“Think again, baby brother,” Damon’s voice sounded behind him. He turned quickly to see his brother holding a limp Bonnie.

“Is she alright? What happened to her?” Elena asked as she ran to them.

“She’s in a coma of some kind. She used all her magic doing that locator spell,” Damon said darkly. “Where’s the witch?”

“This way,” Caroline led them to camp. Tyler spotted them and was next to them in seconds.

“What happened to her?”

“She used too much magic to do that locator spell to find Elena and Jeremy—where is that witch?” Damon barked. Tyler narrowed his eyes.

“What happened to her isn’t Jeremy’s fault.”

“Did I say it was? I’m just informing you of her situation since you asked!”

“Guys, don’t start now,” Caroline warned as she stepped between. “Where’s Pam?”

“In the woods looking for something—”

His head snapped quickly towards the tent as Jeremy climbed out, shielding his eyes from the sun. Tyler’s breath hitched and he took a step forward without realizing it.

“Jeremy?”

“Hey Tyler,” Jeremy gave him a shy smile. “I was hoping I’d see you.”

Tyler thought his heart would stop, “Do you feel okay?”

“Yeah! Yeah I just…I don’t know. I wanted to see you,” Jeremy said bashfully. It made his inner wolf purr in content. Jeremy looked past him and at Damon and the unconscious Bonnie.

“Is she okay?”

“I swear if one more person asks that fucking question—!” Damon snarled.

“She overused her magic. We need to find Pam,” Stefan cut him off.

Jeremy stepped closer to the group and looked at the unconscious girl carefully. Tyler’s senses were in a frenzy being so close to Jeremy again. He almost couldn’t stand it.

“She shouldn’t have pushed herself so hard,” Elena moaned “I’ll never forgive myself if she doesn’t wake up!”

“Stop pitying yourself. You’re not the one in a fucking coma!” Damon bit out. Elena glared at him.

“I wasn’t pitying—!”

“Bonnie,” Jeremy said softly and everyone stopped as they looked at him.

“What?”

“Bonnie’s a witch. She was looking for the moonstone so we could keep it away from Katherine and Mason,” he frowned. “I went into the tomb to get the stone so she wouldn’t have to use spells she wasn’t strong enough for and she nearly killed me but Stefan pulled me out.”

“Yeah,” Elena breathed with a wide smile. “You’re starting to remember Jer! That’s great!”

“I remember some things up until last summer…I don’t remember much after that,” he said softly. Tyler took a step back and let out a cynical laugh without meaning to.

“Tyler,” Caroline said gently but he shook his head and took off into the forest.

“Tyler!” she called again. She sighed and pressed her hand to her forehead in dismay. She turned to the others.

“I don’t know how to help him.”

“We can’t help him,” Stefan put a hand on her shoulder. “You know that.”

“Did I say something wrong?” Jeremy frowned.

“No, he’s just…he’s not feeling well,” Elena said quickly. Pam reemerged from the woods, stopping when she saw Damon.

“Fuck, not you,” he groaned as he saw her. “Just my fucking luck.”

“You know her?” Stefan asked incredulously.

“Long story,” he muttered as she approached them.

“What are you doing here?” she snapped. “I thought I’d rid myself of you.”

“The feelings mutual,” he sneered.

“You should be rotting in the ground after what you did to my coven.”

“Your coven was trying to kill me. I didn’t have much choice but to kill them first,” he sighed. “I know you hate me…but I need your help.”

Pam took one look at Bonnie and laughed coldly. “You want _my_ help with _her_? Since when do you fraternize with our kind?”

“None of your damn business,” he snarled dangerously. Stefan stood between them.

“Please help her. She’s our friend,” he said softly. “She spent too much magic on a spell to find our friends.”

“If the only use you have for her is of her magic then she is better off!” she snapped harshly. “Witches are not tools that you can use and dispose of whenever you need them!”

“She’s one of you! Don’t you have some moral code to help your own?” Damon cried. “You have to help her!”

“I do not have to do anything you ask of me!”

“Please,” he snarled through gritted teeth. “I’ll leave if that’s what you want, but at least help her. _Please_.”

Stefan stared at his brother, shocked that he was begging for Bonnie’s life the way he was. Pam looked just as shocked, her expression changing from anger to something unreadable.

“Come. Put her on the cot next to the boy’s,” she muttered as she went back into the tent. Damon followed her immediately.

“Wow,” Elena said softly.

“What?”

“Damon was…begging,” she giggled softly. “I never thought I’d see it.”

The two remaining vampires felt smiles spread across their faces.

“Me either,” Stefan agreed.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Jeremy frowned when he ended up back by the rock where he started. He slipped away from the group when Pam returned and decided to find Tyler to apologize for upsetting him. He wasn’t exactly sure why he felt responsible, but he knew that he needed to make things right between them.

He plopped down on a high boulder with heavy shoulders. Tyler could be anywhere in this forest and he would definitely sense him coming before Jeremy saw him, which meant he could avoid him if he wanted. He frowned at that. He didn’t want the hybrid to stay angry with him.

“You shouldn’t be out here by yourself,” someone said softly from the trees. Jeremy’s heart started pounding when Tyler stepped out.

“I was looking for you. To apologize,” he said just as softly.

“Apologize for what?”

“For…” he frowned. What was he apologizing for? “For upsetting you back in the clearing, I guess. You looked upset when you took off so I just thought maybe it was something I said.”

“It wasn’t you,” Tyler gave him a warm smile. “I’ve just been under…a lot of stress lately.”

“Because our bond is broken.”

“Yeah, because of that,” he admitted reluctantly. “I just want to give you space.”

“Oh,” Jeremy couldn’t understand why he felt a pang of disappointment in his heart.

“How’re you doing?” Tyler sat beside him on the rock, desperate to be near him. “I can’t imagine how hard this is for you.”

“It’s different,” he admitted. “But I feel better than I did a couple days ago. I don’t feel so empty.”

“Me either,” he said without thinking.

“Was it…painful for you when our bond broke?”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “It wasn’t nice.”

“I don’t think it was nice for me either. I threw up all night,” he chuckled lightly. Tyler’s heart stuttered at hearing his laugh.

“I’m sorry you were sick,” he grabbed his hand. “I wish I could’ve been there for you.”

“I wish that too,” Jeremy said honestly as he squeezed it. “It would’ve been nice to have you with me. And I could’ve been there for you.”

Tyler kissed the back of it, unable to help himself. Jeremy’s heart pounded.

“We were…really close, weren’t we?”

“You were my everything. You still are,” Tyler smiled sadly. “I know you can’t remember what we were like, but I can. We did almost everything together, and we never wanted to be away from each other.”

“Isn’t that…unhealthy?”

“We spend time apart, but when we did we always thought about each other. People got used to seeing us together and they just accepted that we’re inseparable.”

“Sounds nice,” Jeremy scooted closer. “I had a dream about you. We were only friends in it, but I remember I felt more comfortable with you than with anyone else. I felt like I could be myself.”

“Yeah. You told me that a few times,” Tyler’s breath hitched when he moved even closer. “You never felt comfortable being yourself unless you were with me because you said I didn’t judge you. That’s why I felt comfortable being around you without having to pretend anything.”

“I really wish I could remember more,” Jeremy breathed, his eyes darting to Tyler’s lips. “It must have been nice to be with you.”

The werewolf’s breath hitched when Jeremy tilted his head and moved closer. He licked his lips and moved closer too.

“Jer,” he whispered as their lips touched. When their tongues met, his inner wolf was howling for joy at reclaiming his mate. Jeremy cupped his face and he grabbed him around the waist as he pulled him as close as he could. He lifted Jeremy into his arms and ran to the tree behind them. Jeremy grunted when his back hit it but he pulled Tyler even closer as he explored his mouth.

Tyler kissed across his jawline to his ear. He sucked on the lobe, his cock twitching at Jeremy’s moan and he wondered if they could get away with a quickie against the tree. When Jeremy rolled his hips down he groaned and thrust up to meet him.

“God Ty,” he breathed against his cheek as they rocked into each other. He had no idea what came over him, all he knew was that it felt so _right_. He couldn’t even bring himself to feel guilty about doing this with someone other than Klaus.

Tyler kissed down his neck, groaning when Jeremy’s hands went to his shirt and he set him down to help him take it off. He slipped his hands under Jeremy’s and took his off two before pinning him against the tree once more. He went back to his neck, but froze when he saw the two holes in his neck and the bruise that accompanied it and he realized what he was doing. If they were to do this now, he would be no better than Klaus.

“What’s wrong?” Jeremy panted when Tyler stepped away from him. Tyler shook his head and found his shirt on the ground.

“We shouldn’t do this. You don’t have your memories yet and I don’t want to influence them in any way,” he said softly as he slipped it on.

“How would you be influencing them?”

“I don’t want to take advantage of you Jer,” he kissed the boy’s cheek and his forehead. “You should get back to camp before they worry about you.”

“Wait,” he grabbed Tyler’s arm. “I thought…I want you to help me remember. If I can remember what we were like then I can fix our bond.”

Tyler gave him a hint of a smile. He took his hand and kissed his palm before letting it go.

“Not like this Jer,” he murmured before taking off. Jeremy stared after him in longing and confusion.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Tyler ran to the opposite end of the forest to the lake he found those nights ago. He growled in frustration and took off his shirt and pants before diving in, finding solace in the freezing water. Jeremy was driving him insane. He was sure he would have had him against the tree if he hadn’t seen Klaus’ calling card on his neck.

He came up after a moment, the sun shining through the trees and glistening off the water on his skin and in his hair. If Jeremy kept doing what he was doing then his control was going to snap. The way his wolf was determined to take back his mate wasn’t helping either. He turned when he sensed someone and saw Caroline sitting on a fallen log.

“I was looking for you,” she gave him a warm smile. “Were you with Jeremy?”

“Yeah.”

“Does he remember anything else?”

“Only how I made him feel,” he sighed as he got out and joined her. “He just knows that we were connected once and he wants to…rekindle that.”

“So did you?” she asked slyly. He chuckled.

“Almost.”

“What happened?”

“Klaus,” he sighed. “I’m not going to take advantage of him the way he did. Jeremy has no idea what he’s doing. He’s only going by what feels natural to him. When we’re together, I want him to be fully aware of who I am.”

Caroline smiled gently at him. “I don’t think remembering you is going to be a problem much longer. The longer he’s away from Klaus the more their bond dissolves. And if Pam keeps unraveling past memories the way she is he’s going to remember you sooner than you think.”

“I hope so,” he smiled. “If he doesn’t remember, then I can just make him fall in love with me again. I did it once, right?”

“With the way he’s coming on to you, it won’t be hard at all,” Caroline said with a laugh. Tyler joined in.

* * *

Damon didn’t think his mood could get any worse but he was wrong. It shouldn’t have been that hard to transfer some magical powers to Bonnie so she could get out of her coma but apparently he was wrong. He rubbed his hands over his face and growled lowly, wondering if Pam was purposely taking this long to piss him off.

Even more annoying was the Gilbert kid staring at him like he was about to attack him. Damon understood that he could come off as scary and unapproachable to people but seriously, the kid acted like he was going to rip his throat out.

“Well, I did kill him once,” he mused to himself. He wasn’t proud of that moment at all. He almost hated himself for doing it, in fact. And then Lockwood had found out and chased him around the woods all night, wrongfully enraged in his opinion. Bonnie had a good laugh at that story.

He raised an eyebrow when he caught the younger Gilbert staring at him, “See something you appreciate?”

“N-No,” he visibly flushed and looked away. Damon grinned; he was bored, Jeremy was there and Tyler wasn’t around. Time to have a little fun.

“So Gilbert, I know you bat for the other team,” he said slyly as he sat next to the startled teen. “What do you find attractive about me?”

“Um—I uh—I don’t really—” he blinked with wide eyes as he babbled out words. “I—don’t take this the wrong way but…I don’t find you attractive.”

“But you think Klaus is a catch?” Damon snorted. “You must have a thing for beasts.”

Jeremy’s eyes narrowed, “What do you mean?”

“You like being dominated by stronger men. To each his own, I suppose, but for you to think Klaus is attractive is…well, let’s just say he’s twisted your head good.”

“What’re you talking about?”

“I think you know what I’m talking about. You know there’s something wrong with him and how he treats you like his little dog on a leash.”

Jeremy glared at him, “He’s just overprotective. I’m not his bitch, if that’s what you’re implying.”

“That is what I’m implying. He could make you do whatever the hell he wants. He can even take away your memories and give you different ones so yes, you are his little bitch,” the elder Salvatore smirked. “He never loved you, you know that right? He only wanted you because you were like the toy he couldn’t have and he had to prove to Tyler he was better. You’re nothing to Klaus but a means to piss Tyler off and now that he has, he’s done with you.”

“Klaus told me about you, but I remember what you’re like Damon,” he growled. “You’re pathetic if you think I actually care about what you think of my relationships. You’re incapable of feeling love, so what the hell would you know. You’re bitter that my sister chose Stefan over you and you’re looking for someone to take it out on.”

“You know, I miss the other Jeremy. The one who wasn’t Klaus’ lapdog,” Damon took a step towards Jeremy who took a step back. “Let’s bring him out.”

He took a step towards him and Jeremy took two steps back. “What the hell are you doing?”

“What? Are you scared Gilbert? You were talking tough a minute ago,” Damon taunted as he continued forward.

The other hybrids in the area watched as he took predatory steps towards Jeremy who was slowly stepping backwards. Stefan regarded the scene carefully, ready to intervene if needed but he had a feeling Damon’s intentions, wild as his method was, were good.

“What the hell is he doing?” Tyler asked when he appeared next to Stefan.

“I’m not sure. Let’s just see where he’s going with this,” the younger Salvatore murmured.

“What if he hurts him? He’s killed him once!”

“He won’t do it again. That’s not his goal.”

“Get away from me!” they heard Jeremy shriek. “Don’t touch me!”

“Jesus,” Damon growled in annoyance. Before anyone could react, he grabbed Jeremy by his shoulders and backed him into the closest tree with dilated eyes. Tyler snarled angrily but Stefan held him back.

“Forget everything Klaus told you, it’s a lie,” Damon muttered. “Remember everything Klaus made you forget.”

Jeremy’s mind went hazy and he went limp. His mind was bombarded with what felt like thousands of memories and he groaned as he doubled over and held his head. Tyler stopped struggling, mouth dropping slightly as he watched them.

Damon let him go and Jeremy dropped to the ground. The pain stopped as quickly as it started but his ears were still ringing.

“That was easy,” Damon crouched down and slapped Jeremy’s cheeks lightly. “Snap out of it sunshine. Welcome back to reality.”

Jeremy blinked twice before focusing on him, “Damon?”

“Yep. You know why you’re out here in the forest?”

“Klaus kidnapped me and Elena,” he shook his head. “What the hell is going on?”

“You just got your memories back,” Damon held out his hand and helped him up. “Glad you’re back kid. You gave Lockwood a serious heart-attack when you didn’t remember him.”

Pam, Mya and Marshall watched them in stunned awe, wondering how the hell Damon Salvatore of all people broke through Klaus’s compulsion.

“Their bond must be broken,” the witch murmured. “That is the only explanation.”

“Jer?” Elena asked as she approached him. He grinned when he saw her.

“Hey ‘Lena.”

“Thank God,” she threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek. “I was so worried we wouldn’t be able to fix it.”

“Me too. I was really confused,” he pulled back. “Where’s Tyler?”

“Right here,” a soft voice came to his right and he immediately turned his head to him, heart hammering in his chest as he set eyes on his beloved.

“Ty,” he said softly as he ran into his arms. He gripped him for dear life, “You’re here.”

“You’re here,” Tyler repeated against his neck, taking in his scent. He pulled him into a soulful kiss, the electricity between them sparking as they familiarized themselves with each other. They pulled each other impossibly closer as they took in everything and lost themselves in the moment.

Mya laughed in surprise as Marshall wrapped an arm around her waist with a smile. Caroline and Elena grinned at each other and even Damon had lost his smirk for a hint of a true smile as they witnessed the reunion of two soul-mates that found each other again despite all odds.


	18. Chapter 18

“They aren’t here sir.”

“This is ridiculous! One of you idiots should have found them by now!” Klaus snarled angrily. “If you lot want to live to see the next morning I suggest you look harder!”

The hybrids scurried off, not wanting to face the wrath of their sire. Klaus sighed heavily and ran a hand over his face. He knew his bond with Jeremy was broken, and he was furious that he let the boy slip through his grasp so quickly. Knowing that he was back in Tyler’s presence made jealousy sear through his veins like lava. He knew he should have killed him when he’d first taken Jeremy and now it was coming back to bite him in the ass.

 _Well I won’t be making that mistake again_ , he thought vehemently. When he found them, the first thing he would do would be to rip Tyler’s head from his body. Then he would take back his doppelganger and create his army, his family that loved him and cherished him above all others and Jeremy would be at his side, ruling with him as his prince after he turned him. He already decided that Jeremy was going to be his for eternity. All he had to do was find him.

He looked over the cliff where he was standing, watching his hybrids scouring the forest for his mate. With this many hybrids under his command, he was confident he would find his lover soon.

* * *

“How did you know you would break Klaus’ compulsion?” Stefan asked Damon as he lounged lazily against a tree. “Pam said she only unraveled a few memories with Tyler in them.”

“I had no idea it would break,” he shrugged. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen Klaus, so I figured his influence was weak enough to break through.”

“I can’t believe it was you of all people to break the compulsion.”

“Don’t be jealous Stef. I’m just full of surprises,” the rogue vampire grinned. “I bet that bastard is tearing the forest apart now.”

Pam came out of the tent looking slightly disheveled, her eyes duller than normal.

“She is asking for you Mr. Salvatore,” she nodded to Damon. He was inside the tent so quick that his speed nearly startled Stefan. He didn’t think he’d seen his brother move so quickly before. He stopped at the entrance, smiling as he watched Damon drop to his knees to cup Bonnie’s face and kiss her forehead.

“I never thought I would see it,” Pam muttered next to him. “A witch found his heart.”

“It is ironic,” Stefan grinned when they kissed.

“They are good for each other,” she walked away into the woods. Stefan swore she saw a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

“Bonnie’s awake,” he told Elena and Caroline as he approached them. “Damon’s in there right now.”

“Thank God. I thought it would be worse,” Elena sagged in relief.

“Her and Damon are pretty serious,” Caroline grinned. “He loves her, doesn’t he?”

“He’s getting there. It’s good for him. He’s happy,” Stefan returned it. “He deserves this after everything with Katherine.”

“And me,” Elena hopped down from the rock. “Him and Bonnie are perfect for each other.”

“Just like Tyler and Jeremy,” Caroline sighed dreamily. “They’re going to make it, aren’t they?”

“Yeah. They’re going to be fine.”

* * *

“Where are we?” Jeremy asked, his voice echoing around the small, secluded clearing he and Tyler found. “Are we still in Virginia?”

“We’re on the border of Virginia and West, I think,” Tyler grinned. “This is like the camping trip we never got to have because you’re too afraid of the dark to stay in the woods one night.”

“I was not afraid. I was concerned for my safety,” Jeremy glared as he laughed. “I’m not supernatural like you. I can’t fight off mountain lions and all that.”

“Pretty sure there aren’t any near the camp sites Jer. You’re just being a baby.”

He stuck out his tongue. Tyler could help but take it in his mouth. Jeremy groaned as he returned the kiss vigorously.

“How long has it been since I’ve been gone?”

“A few weeks. Definitely enough to make the counsel suspicious, especially since your house got burned to the ground.”

“Yeah, and Jenna…” Jeremy trailed off sadly. Tyler wrapped his arms around him.

“I know babe. I’m so sorry.”

“She never did anything to Klaus. She wasn’t even a part of this,” he sighed. “How’s Alaric?”

“Not good,” he said honestly. “He’s devastated. I think the principal gave him time off to mourn.”

“That’s good. And has he been mourning?”

“Everyday. I know he wanted to be there for you and Elena, and he helped us the best he could but…it was hard for him.”

“I know it was. It’s going to be hard for all of us when we go home,” Jeremy leaned his head on his shoulder. “So much is going to be different.”

“Yeah. But we’ll get through it Jer. We always do, right?”

“Right,” he kissed Tyler’s cheek. He nuzzled his neck gently, “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too babe,” he caught his lips again. “So, so much.”

They kissed tenderly, getting reacquainted with each other before things started heating up. Tyler’s hand slipped under his shirt as his lips fell to Jeremy’s neck and the younger groaned as he thrust his hips up. He tipped his head back, breathing harshly as Tyler’s hand crept to his chest. He lifted his head and opened his eyes, and gasped when he saw Klaus instead.

“You’re mine,” he whispered with a wicked grin.

“No!” Jeremy shook his head and shoved him away. He blinked, and realized that he was staring at his bewildered mate.

“Jer?” he asked softly. He sucked in a shaky breath and turned away.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, tears of humiliation coming to his eyes.

“Don’t apologize,” Tyler wrapped his arms around him from behind. “This isn’t your fault Jer. _None_ of this is, okay? I know you blame yourself, and you can’t.”

“It’s just…the things I did with Klaus, I wouldn’t have _ever_ done if I had known—”

“He took advantage of you and tricked you into doing something you weren’t aware of. This isn’t your fault at all,” he whispered before nibbling on his ear. Jeremy shuddered.

“How…how could you still want me?” he asked breathlessly. Tyler’s hand crept to the front of his jeans and he moaned when he cupped him.

“Because we’re soul mates Jer. I’m always going to want you,” he panted as he popped open the button and slid his hand down into his boxers. “There’s never going to be a day I want anyone else. You’re the only one for _life_.”

He gripped him as he said it and pressed a hot kiss to his neck. Jeremy cried out and bucked into his hand. Tyler could hear his blood rushing in his neck and his veins appeared quicker than he could stop him. He leapt away from Jeremy and covered his face.

“Ty?” he panted. “What’s wrong?”

“I need to feed,” his voice came out strained. “But it’s too soon. I don’t want to scare you.”

Jeremy laughed, much to his surprise.

“C’mon,” he said huskily as he removed his shirt. “I know you only like my blood.”

“Fuck Jeremy,” Tyler let him see his face. “I might not be able to stop.”

“I have faith in you,” he smirked as he stood to remove his pants. “You won’t kill me.”

Tyler swore his mouth went dry when he saw Jeremy naked and erect and leaking and _God_ he couldn’t decide whether he wanted his blood or his body more. He whimpered when he licked his lips tauntingly and lay back on the grass.

“Come here Tyler,” he chuckled. Tyler was by him in a flash and pulling off his clothes so quickly he made holes in them. The moment he was naked Jeremy pulled him down and put his face in his neck. Tyler’s mouth watered as he sank his fangs into him. Jeremy moaned in slight pain as he arched into him.

“Drink as much as you need,” he panted as he reached down to touch himself. Tyler slapped it away and was on him in seconds, pulling him into a slight sitting position as he sucked. Jeremy closed his eyes with a grin.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

“Should we go find them? They’ve been gone a really long time,” Elena asked worriedly when Tyler and Jeremy still hadn’t returned by nightfall.

“It’s going to be a while before they come back,” Damon snorted with a slight look of disgust. In his arms, Bonnie giggled. “You would think they would try to be a little more discrete.”

“They haven’t seen each other in nearly three weeks. The last thing they’re worried about is being discrete,” Caroline laughed.

“What’re you talking about?” Elena frowned. Stefan nuzzled her neck to hide his grin.

“What do you think Elena? Did you really think they went somewhere to talk?” Damon snorted. “They’re teenage boys. They don’t think with the heads on their shoulders.”

Elena wrinkled her nose in disgust, “Seriously? They’re doing it _now_ where Klaus can find us any moment?”

“Clearly they don’t give a shit about him.”

“Or any of us listening,” Caroline sighed, jealousy clear in her voice. “I wish her spell went about thirty yards farther.

“Don’t we all,” Damon tried to look put out, but it was hard to when Bonnie was smiling against his neck. He pressed their foreheads together.

“I can’t hear anything,” she murmured, smile clear in her voice.

“That’s because you don’t have supernatural hearing,” he kissed her nose. “But I would be more than happy to describe it for you.”

“I’m good. The last thing I want an image of is my friend since childhood and my best friend’s little brother getting busy.”

“Speaking of which,” he grinned at Caroline, “Lockwood couldn’t hold out, so you owe me when we get back.”

“Damn, I thought you would forget,” she huffed. The others laughed.

“You overestimated the will power of your best friend. We all knew Tyler wouldn’t hold out. Even he could’ve told you that.”

“I was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt,” she grumbled. “But I know him _too_ well. Sex in the woods is his favorite. He would always tell me about every girl he talked into doing it.”

Damon snorted loudly at that, “Of _course_ it’s his favorite. Lockwood plays the part of a werewolf almost too well. He probably thinks it helps him get in touch with his inner beast or something ridiculous.”

“You’re terrible Damon,” Stefan laughed. “I believe you went through that phase once in the 80s.”

“You weren’t with me in the 80s Stefan.”

“I heard your stories.”

“I hardly call having a quickie twice at a bonfire a phase,” he rolled his eyes. “Don’t act as if you’re so modest.”

“Never said I was,” he chuckled. Elena shot him a look.

“What does that mean?”

“Ahh, you don’t know about Stefan do you?” Damon smirked. “He has a rap sheet worse than Lockwood’s.”

“Thanks Damon,” Stefan rolled his eyes. Bonnie and Caroline laughed at the glare their best friend gave him.

“Did you go through a woods phase too?”

“More of a fetish than a phase,” Damon chuckled evilly. “Stefan is something of an exhibitionist. Anywhere there’s a chance of getting caught, he’s there.”

“How do you know this about me?”

“I read your diary. When you’re not brooding, you’re pretty interesting,” he laughed. “I was shocked at some of the things I read. I didn’t think you were capable of being so…daring.”

“Jesus,” the younger Salvatore grumbled petulantly as everyone but Elena laughed. He was nearly afraid to face his girlfriend, but that changed when he saw the look she was giving him. She licked her lips unconsciously.

“We need to talk,” she muttered as she walked into the forest. Damon groaned when Stefan smirked at them before following.

“You’re fucking kidding,” he groaned, his head hitting the tree he leaned against. “How obvious can they be?”

“What—they’re _not_!” Caroline shrieked. “Elena is _so_ not the type to do it out here.”

“She’s right Day. Elena’s too conservative,” the witch agreed.

“I think you both will find that you are _very_ wrong,” he gave them pointed looks. “If there’s one thing Stefan’s good at, it’s persuasion.”

* * *

“Shit,” Tyler breathed as he rolled to the side off of Jeremy and onto his back completely out of breath. His heart beat erratically as he tried to catch his breath, the pleasure still rocking his body from moments before. Jeremy’s cries of bliss were still ringing in his ears, and probably through the forest if he were being realistic. Klaus could have found them at that moment and he wouldn’t have given a shit because he rocked Jeremy’s world and both of them knew it.

“Fuck,” Jeremy breathed as he rested on his back. “That was just….”

“Yeah.”

“You think they heard us?”

“Definitely.”

“Fuck,” he repeated with a breathless chuckled. “That was…”

“Amazing?”

“That word doesn’t do this justice, honestly,” he turned to Tyler with a bright grin. “But yeah, it was really, _really_ amazing. It was fucking incredible.”

Tyler laughed and pulled him into his arms. Jeremy rested his head on his shoulder, his face level with the crook of his neck.

“You’re incredible,” Tyler murmured against his hair. He pulled his sweatshirt over him.

“I can’t believe we just had sex in the woods,” Jeremy laughed. “Damon must be cursing us right now.”

“I’m sure he understands and is politely ignoring us.”

“Yeah right,” he snorted. “You know he asked me if I thought he was attractive?”

“Why?”

“It’s Damon. He wanted his ego stroked,” he chuckled as he pressed a kiss to his sweaty neck. His hand came over Tyler’s heart. “Does it feel like it’s getting better?”

“It started healing when I saw you,” he said quietly. “I knew everything would be okay if you were at least still alive.”

“I feel better too, like I’m not so empty anymore,” he whispered as he cuddled into the warm body of the werewolf. Tyler ran his fingers through his hair like he often did and it made him smile.

“I’m glad. I was worried it would have effects on you like it did me,” he murmured. “I didn’t want you to go through that agony Jer.”

“I’m sorry you did,” he turned his head to press their lips together. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Jeremy’s hand dropped to his stomach and he stroked gently. They were silent as they enjoyed each other’s presence.

“What’re we gonna do?” Jeremy whispered finally.

“Run,” Tyler answered just as quietly. “Run until he can’t find us.”

“Are we really going to hide forever?”

“If we have to,” Tyler turned to him. “I can’t lose you again. The first time damn near killed me.”

“Me too,” he whispered as he scooted as close as he could. “But we can’t run.”

“Then we’ll kill him.”

“There’s no one strong enough to do that.”

“Give me time. I’ll get stronger. I’ll become better.”

“I don’t want you to fight him again. I was so scared Tyler, that night in the woods. I thought he was going to...” he looked away, “and he will this time. You know he will.”

Tyler nuzzled his neck before rolling over onto him, “He won’t. I won’t let him take me from you, not again.”

“How can you be sure?” he stroked his cheek with his thumb.

“I’ll never let us be separated again. Klaus is never going to come between us again, that I can promise,” he kissed him deeply. Jeremy returned it desperately, as if it were his last kiss. There was a need clawing at them; desperation was consuming them and it was taking over rapidly.

“I need you,” Tyler whispered against his lips.

“Then have me,” he breathed. Tyler shook his head.

“No. I want you to,” he rubbed their noses together. “I want to be yours just like you’re mine.”

Jeremy gaped at him in surprise.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” his eyes turned pleading. “Please.”

Jeremy sat up slowly and took Tyler’s face between his hands. He kissed him gently, his heart pounding madly at his mate’s request. Tyler trusted him enough to give himself to him and he was going to make him feel as good as he made him feel.

“Lie down,” he said softly. Tyler complied and slowly lowered himself onto the grass. Jeremy could see the slight fear in his eyes and he smiled.

“Will it hurt?”

“Only for a moment,” he promised as he settled between his legs. “I’ll be gentle, okay?”

“You better be Gilbert,” he grinned slightly. Jeremy chuckled before kissing him passionately. He moved to his neck and sucked as his hand traveled to his intimate area. He slicked one finger with spit before finding his entrance. Tyler tensed, unused to the intrusion.

“Relax,” he soothed before lowering his head to kiss his nipple. He took one in his mouth as his finger started moving. Tyler groaned and bucked his hips, his cock slapping his stomach. Jeremy added another one and waited until Tyler relaxed before fingering him again. He knew when he found his spot when he let out a loud groan and jerked up.

“Shit,” he swore through harsh pants as Jeremy kept aiming for that spot. “Feels good.”

“Good,” Jeremy hummed as he kissed his stomach. He took him into his mouth just as he tapped on that spot again and Tyler cried out as his tongued stimulated him and his fingers alternated between pressing against that spot and tapping it.

“Oh—fuck Jer!” he gasped as a pleasure he never felt before washed over him. He moaned again when Jeremy tapped faster and one hand flew to his hair as he tried to fuck his mouth and grind on his fingers at the same time. When Jeremy released him from his mouth, he nearly whined with want.

“Wait for me,” he huffed out a laugh as he used his spit to slick himself with his free hand. He tapped the spot inside of Tyler two more times before withdrawing his fingers and settling between his legs again. Jeremy kept his eyes locked with Tyler’s and made careful note of his facial expressions as he guided himself to his hole.

“Relax,” he murmured when he pressed against his hole and he tensed again. “I won’t hurt you. You have to trust me.”

“I do,” Tyler whispered. Jeremy rested against him until he felt him relax. He kissed him deeply, and pushed in at a snail’s pace. Tyler’s fingernails dug into his shoulders and he knew it would leave marks, not that he minded.

“Fuck,” Tyler breathed as the younger sunk in inch by inch. It burned immensely, and he apologized internally for causing Jeremy this pain their first time. He wanted to breathe and he tried, but all he could do was moan as Jeremy continued pushing in.

“Breathe,” Jeremy reminded as he tried his hardest not to cum right there. The werewolf was so tight it was nearly unbelievable. It took all his concentration to keep going until he was in to the hilt. When he looked at Tyler’s face, his eyes were screwed shut and he was holding his breath.

“Breathe Ty,” he soothed as he kissed his cheek slowly. “It’s okay.”

“I’m sorry,” he sucked in a breath. “It’s just….”

“I know,” he kissed his lips. “It’s okay, just tell me when.”

Jeremy nearly regretted the words as he waited for Tyler to give him the okay to move. He had the feeling this would be short and he couldn’t even be embarrassed. The fact that Tyler let him do this raised their relationship to a new level.

“Okay,” Tyler breathed after what felt like an eternity. Jeremy pulled out slowly and pushed back in with half that speed. He wasn’t sure how he was able to make it through those slow thrusts, but he could’ve cried when Tyler started raising his hips faster. He thrust at a quicker pace, making sure to keep his eyes on his mate’s face to gauge his pleasure.

“You’re fucking beautiful,” he panted to the werewolf as he quickened his pace. Tyler groaned in response, too out of breath to answer him with words.

Tyler dragged his head down to kiss him hard. The things Jeremy was making him feel were beyond anything he’d ever felt before. He didn’t know if he could put it into words, but giving himself to Jeremy was the best decision he ever made. His heart felt the lightest it had ever been; his already heightened senses seemed to become even more sensitive; he could feel their bond coming together again, this time stronger than before. The higher Jeremy took him, the more connected he felt with him, as if his pleasure was becoming his too.

Jeremy couldn’t stop the moans that were spilling from his mouth. He’d never dreamed he’d be in this position, that Tyler would trust him and love him so much that he would give himself to him. He never minded before that Tyler was the dominant one. The werewolf needed to be in control of something in his life and he understood completely. But this was a huge gift, one he didn’t take lightly, and he was honored that he would be the only one to see Tyler so vulnerable.

“Oh fuck!” Tyler choked out when Jeremy started stroking his cock. “Jer, I’m so close, I’m so close baby.”

“Yeah? How close?”

“Right there—just like—fuck, like that, just like that!”

“Then let go for me,” Jeremy said raggedly. He thrust two more times and twisted his wrist and Tyler flew over the edge. He clenched around Jeremy tightly and he groaned as he emptied into him so hard and fast he grew dizzy.

The world faded around Tyler and his vision became a little hazy before it was clear, clearer than before. White-hot pleasure coursed through him. He thought one touch to his skin would make him see stars, more stars than he could already see in the sky above. The emptiness, the darkness that took ahold of him when their bond broke disappeared and was replaced with serenity. As their bond reconnected and solidified he lay on his back, unable to move as the bliss from their union overtook him and made him a new person.

Jeremy collapsed next to him, shaking from the intensity of his orgasm. He wrapped his arms around Tyler, and held onto him as they became whole once more. When Tyler could finally move, his arms wrapped around Jeremy and he pressed their foreheads together, smiling when he felt Jeremy’s joy through their bond.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

“Do you think they know why we left?”

“Yeah,” Stefan chuckled. “I’m sure they understand.”

Elena blushed as she squeezed her hair. More droplets fell into the grass.

“I honestly thought you were mad at me,” Stefan laughed as he put his shirt back on. “When Damon started talking about my rap sheet, I thought you wanted to talk about it.”

“I was a little upset,” she admitted, “but only because I was jealous. I was more upset that I didn’t know you had a wild side. Besides the Ripper side.”

“I didn’t know you wanted to see it,” Stefan wrapped his arms around her. “Now that I know…we have a lot of catching up to do.”

Elena stood on her toes to kiss him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He lifted her into his arms and squeezed her ass, making her laugh.

“Look,” she pointed when she saw Tyler and Jeremy sitting on the nearby cliff. Stefan grinned before jumping up trees and the side of the rock. Elena smiled softly when she saw them cuddled together watching the sunrise.

“You guys alright?” she asked. They both looked at her with wide grins.

“We’re _more_ than alright,” Tyler smirked. Elena and Stefan laughed, and made themselves comfortable a ways in back of them, watching the sun rise high above the forest.


	19. Chapter 19

It had taken Bonnie three days to recover only a quarter of her magic. Damon was too paranoid to go back to Mystic Falls without the protection of Pam and her pack of hybrids so they opted to stay and plan their next move. Tyler honestly couldn’t say he minded being out in the woods so long as Klaus couldn’t see them and everyone was safe.

“They’re adorable,” Caroline gushed from the tree next to the one he and Jeremy were in as she watched Bonnie and Damon by the river. “I’ve never seen Bonnie so happy.”

“I would’ve never thought they would be a couple. I remember when she hated him,” Jeremy chuckled. Tyler felt his heart speed up at the sound. Every little thing Jeremy did sent his senses into overdrive. He was so affected by everything the younger boy did because of their new bond it almost seemed unreal.

“We thought the same thing when you and Tyler became a couple,” Elena laughed from her place in Stefan’s arms at the base of the tree. “I swear the day I found out you guys became a couple you had just gotten into a fight the day before.”

“We probably did, though it wasn’t what you were thinking,” Tyler smirked. “Remember how she found out Jer?”

“Unfortunately,” he grumbled as he laughed. “Most humiliating moment of my life.”

“I wish I could have taken a picture of both your faces. They were priceless,” Tyler laughed. “I thought Elena was gonna faint.”

“I almost did,” she looked up with a frown. “I didn’t expect to see…what I saw.”

“Your brother on your knees sucking me off?”

“Yes, that,” she said shortly. Jeremy punched Tyler’s arm in annoyance. Stefan couldn’t suppress his chuckle.

“Blame Stefan. I know damn well he knew what was going on from down the street. Your brother isn’t exactly the quietest in the bedroom.”

“Tyler!” Jeremy hit him again. He only continued laughing.

Elena smacked Stefan’s shoulder.

“You _did_ know before me! Why didn’t you tell me what was happening?”

“I figured that was as good a time as any for you to find out…and I wanted to see your reaction,” Stefan laughed and snaked his arms around Elena’s waist when she huffed and turned away from him. A minute later she was smiling as he kissed her forehead.

“Matt’s calling!” Caroline chirped happily as she hopped down from the tree with her phone in her hand. “Thank God. I was tired of seventh-wheeling.”

“You still are,” Damon called from the river. “He’s still in Mystic Falls and you’re still here Blondie. Phone calls don’t change anything.”

“Mind your business,” Caroline stuck her tongue out at him. Tyler chuckled as she ran off while answering the phone. Damon smirked and kissed Bonnie softly.

* * *

Katherine sighed as she continued to follow along the river in search of Marshall’s hybrid clan. If the witch put up her invisible spell, then it would be nearly impossible to find them. She could only hope that someone would appear beyond the barrier and take her with them back to the camp.

She had managed to find her way out of the woods and ran into Elijah. After spending some time reconnecting, he told her of Kol’s death and what he had discovered with it. When Kol had died, the three druggie teens that spent time at the graveyard that he turned had died an hour later, and he couldn’t figure out why until he discovered the secret of the Originals and their bloodlines. Now she had to find Stefan and Damon and warn them of this new information before they did something that got them all killed.

She stopped when she heard someone coming through the trees and hid behind a tree. She knew Klaus was close by and mentally prepared for an attack. She could hear his hybrids tearing the forest apart looking for his boy toy and she was extra cautious when navigating. When she saw it was only Vampire Barbie, she relaxed.

“I don’t know when we’re coming home. Klaus is like trying to kill all of us because we took Elena and Jeremy back and Damon doesn’t think it’ll be safe if we leave the hybrid pack.”

Katherine rolled her eyes. She hadn’t even realized that she was no longer protected by the spell, and that Klaus could easily find her if he were in the right spot. It surprised her she lasted this long.

“I miss you,” Caroline sighed as she dropped on a rock. “Being out here sucks. Like everyone is hooking up and having hot sex in the woods and I don’t get to because you’re not here.”

“That’s what you’re concerned about?” Matt chuckled. “Care, we’ll see each other soon and we’ll have all the hot sex you want.”

“But I want it _now_ ,” she whined. “Stupid Klaus ruining my sex life.”

“You’re being dramatic,” he chuckled. “So what’re you wearing?”

“The same thing I’ve been wearing for the past week and a half. Not sexy,” she smiled. Katherine rolled her eyes and decided to make her presence known.

“Care, what’s wrong?” he asked when she stopped mid-sentence. The blonde vampire stared wide-eyed at Katherine’s smirking face.

“I’ll call you back babe. Love you,” she whispered as she hung up. She immediately got into a defensive position. “What’re you doing here?”

“I was hiking through the forest and enjoying the scenery,” she spat sarcastically. “I need you to lead me back to wherever you’re hiding.”

“And why would I do that?”

“Because I have some information that you all might find important,” she rolled her eyes. “You realize that you’re outside the boundaries of her spell? I wouldn’t be able to see you or hear you if you were still inside.”

Caroline frowned as she took in her surroundings, “I didn’t realize I was.”

“Obviously,” she smirked. “You’re lucky Klaus found you instead of me. He’s got his hybrids all over the forest looking for Elena’s brother.”

Caroline blinked and looked around again as if they would pop out that second. “Are they close by?”

“They’ve passed by here a couple of times but they can’t find anything. She hid you guys well,” Katherine sighed as if bored. “So are you going to take me to them or not?”

Caroline rolled her eyes, “Fine. But I don’t know if I can get back in, you said I’m out the boundaries.”

“If you were inside before, you can find your way back to them. As long as I’m holding on to you I’ll be able to find them too.”

“Oh,” Caroline sighed again. “I’m trusting you won’t hurt any of us so please don’t prove me wrong.”

“Getting rid of you wouldn’t benefit me at all…though it would be entertaining to watch.” Caroline rolled her eyes in return as she took off.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

“They’re close by sir,” a skinny male hybrid piped up by Klaus. “We saw a brunette and a blonde talking by the river and they were talking about the pack.”

Klaus perked up when he heard this. “How close?”

“Somewhere across the river, sir. They were talking about a witch and a spell that’s been hiding them.”

“Did you follow them?”

“No.”

Klaus narrowed his eyes dangerously, “Why not?”

“Because…we weren’t sure if you wanted us to come get your first. And we didn’t know if you would be able to find us,” he said uncertainly.

Klaus closed his eyes and sighed, reigning in his anger before giving them a tight smile.

“Of course you didn’t know. You aren’t used to dealing with witches,” he said in forced calm. “Good work, you three. At least we know where they are now.”

He turned to two, buff vampires standing to the left of him, “Go to Mystic Falls. See if the vampire hunter is still around.”

The hybrids nodded before scattering. Klaus looked towards the sky.

“I’ve almost got you Jeremy,” he chuckled quietly.

* * *

Damon frowned when he saw Katherine behind Caroline, “I thought you would have been in Asia by now.”

“I was thinking about it but there’s just something about Mystic Falls that keeps calling me back,” she smirked slightly as he eyes flicked over Stefan and Elena before returning to Damon. “We need to talk.”

“So talk. Whatever you need to say can be said in front of everyone here,” Damon said nonchalantly, bringing Bonnie closer to him. Katherine stared at them for a moment in slight shock before blinking as if to clear her vision.

“Really Damon, you’re going after witches now?”

“Talk,” he bit out. She smirked.

“About killing Klaus…we have a problem.”

“Why?” Tyler asked, unconsciously wrapping an arm around Jeremy’s waist.

“I ran into Elijah when I escaped. We spent a couple days in New York hiding from Klaus,” she ignored Damon’s snort. “He told me you guys killed Kol, and that he found three teens he turned in Mystic Falls dead too. He said they died within an hour of each other.”

“And?”

“And he discovered that when you kill an Original Vampire, their entire bloodline dies with them,” she snapped. “The woman that turned Rose is dead so we can’t ask her who turned her, and Elijah can’t remember if it was him or Klaus.”

“Bullshit. He remembers, he just doesn’t want to say,” Damon snorted. “So what, we can’t kill Klaus because he’s the head of our bloodline?”

“He might not be the head of our bloodline, but he’s the head of his, and all of them,” she nodded to Tyler and the pack of hybrids. “If Klaus dies, then they’ll all die.”

Everyone stared at her in dismay and disbelief.

“How do we know you’re not lying?” Stefan asked suspiciously.

“It is true. I have heard these rumors a long time ago,” Pam interjected. “Should the start of any bloodline of vampires be destroyed, their entire line dies with them.”

“Why?”

Pam shrugged, “Nature has deemed it so. It is a loophole of sorts.”

“A hell of a loophole,” Damon grumbled.

“Do you know who created your bloodline?”

“Well it obviously wasn’t Kol,” Damon muttered. “It could be Elijah or Rebekah.”

“But it still doesn’t matter. We can’t kill him because if we do—”

“I’ll die,” Tyler finished quietly.

Jeremy felt his head spin, his good mood from the past couple of days disappearing rapidly. How could this happen to him? How cruel could fate be to link the love of his life to the one who nearly destroyed everything they had only to kill him if they killed Klaus? How was that _fair_?

“I…I need some air,” he said breathlessly. He stumbled off the rock and ran into the woods, ignoring Elena calling his name. Tyler watched him disappear in concern, giving him a good head start before following him. Damon sighed as he watched him go.

“I guess killing Klaus is definitely out of the question,” he sighed.

“Of course it is,” Elena snapped. “If Klaus dies, Tyler dies and if he dies, Jeremy more than likely will die. I can’t believe you would even still suggest that.”

“I was only stating the obvious,” Damon rolled his eyes. “Don’t get your panties in a twist.

“If killing him is the only way to stop him, then you might not have a choice,” Marshall said softly. “Klaus will kill millions if he is not eventually stopped.”

“We’re _not_ killing Klaus,” Caroline said firmly. “There’s got to be another way to do this. All we have to do is get creative and think of a solid plan.”

“It might be the _only_ way to do this,” Pam sighed. “Klaus is too strong for any other alternative. Killing him might be our only solution.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Jeremy didn’t stop running until he came to the edge of a cliff. He didn’t know if he was still in range of the protection spell but at the moment he didn’t care. He needed to be as far away from everyone as possible so he could clear his head and think.

Tears began welling up in his eyes. He had expected, now he was back safely in Tyler’s arms, that they would kill Klaus and then he would be free to live the rest of his life with Tyler in peace like he wanted. Yet again, that bastard managed to turn his world upside down. Flashes of him and Klaus together kissing, crying out the hybrid’s name as he thrust into him, laughing, were assaulting his memory and he let out a whimper burying his hands in his hair. He felt Tyler’s presence before he heard him and wished he hadn’t followed him.

“Jeremy?” Tyler asked gently, making sure to keep a good distance between them.

“If we kill Klaus you’re going to die. If we keep him alive…he’ll never stop hunting us,” Jeremy said in a deadened tone. He lifted his head to the sky and laughed sardonically. “My life is a fucking TV show! We’re always _so_ close to getting what we want then something happens and we’re back at square one all over again!”

Tyler smiled sadly, though Jeremy couldn’t see it, “We can figure this out Jeremy. There has to be a way around it.”

“Really? Because she sounded pretty damn sure back there that what happens to Klaus will happen to you!” Jeremy snapped as he whirled around. “So what? There’s some spell that could save you and everyone else but allow Klaus to die? Something tells me that doesn’t exist.”

“You don’t know that,” Tyler said gently as he took slow steps toward the hysterical boy. “Maybe Pam can find a way to save us.”

“Why would she? She _hates_ vampires, all witches do! Why would she help us?”

“She’s helped Marshall and his pack even while they were vampires. She helped Bonnie for Damon. She doesn’t hate _all_ vampires but she does hate Klaus. I have a feeling she’d be willing to find a way to stop him without killing anyone else.”

Jeremy shook his head but said nothing else. Tyler could smell his tears and the wolf whimpered at his mate’s plight.

“That’s not all that’s bothering you,” Tyler asked quietly. He had a feeling that he wouldn’t like what it was. “It’s Klaus, isn’t it?”

Jeremy shivered and walked to the edge of the cliff.

“It haunts me every day, what I did…what I _willingly_ did,” he whispered, his throat burning fiercely. He felt Tyler come directly behind him and he flinched when he felt arms come around him. He shrugged out of the hold and walked away, turning to face the wolf’s hurt expression.

“Jer—”

“I _slept_ with the vampire that sired you! _I_ broke our bond!” he yelled, tears streaming down his face. “I told Klaus I loved him; I kissed him; I let him _inside_ me Tyler! Why don’t you hate me for what I’ve done to you?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Tyler’s voice wavered. Jeremy was surprised to hear the tears in his voice and see them on his face. “It doesn’t matter what you did Jeremy because it wasn’t _you_.”

“It _was_ me Tyler! I slept with him, more than once! I wanted him the same way I want you! No matter what you say, it was all _me_ ,” he said bitterly.

“I love you,” Tyler said in a clear voice, though there were still tears running down his face. “I don’t care if you were with him Jeremy, _I love you_. I will _always_ love you. You didn’t break our bond, Klaus did. Don’t blame yourself because you couldn’t help but follow something that felt natural to you. You were only doing what you thought was right.”

Jeremy looked away.

“I’m dirty now. He got what he wanted from me and now I’m…I’m dirty and the bond…our bond was so special and now it’s been soiled…because of _me_ ,” his voice was thick with shame. “How could you still want me?”

Tyler caught Jeremy in his arms and the wolf inside whined when Jeremy buried his head in his neck and more tears fell.

“I will _always_ want you,” he whispered against his hair. “Even when you’re old and losing teeth, I will never want anyone the way I want you. You’re the most important person in my life Jeremy, and nothing that has happened will ever change that.”

He pulled back and used his thumbs to wipe Jeremy’s tears, “Our bond is new again. You didn’t soil _anything_. You did nothing wrong, and I wish you could realize that. You’re a victim Jeremy. This isn’t your fault.”

“What if killing him is the only way to stop him?” he said in a small voice. “What if they decide that—that we have to kill him and—”

“Don’t even go there,” he warned. “We’ll figure out a way around this. Killing him is going to be the very last resort Jer, okay? I promise that we will figure this out and everything will be okay. Trust me, okay?”

“Okay,” Jeremy kissed him desperately, pouring every emotion he felt into the kiss. Tyler returned it, needing him to understand that he wanted him always. He would never let him go again.

They made it back to the camp before the sun went down. Everyone was still gathered around in the circle they left them in trying to figure out their next move. They found their rock again and sat closer to each other than before.

“You are back. Now we can begin,” Pam stood. They looked at her in confusion.

“Begin what?”

“There are other ways to kill vampires without destroying their existence,” Pam started. “The spells used for this are considered dark magic and take considerable power. Your friend found one of the spells that might be able to work.”

Jeremy’s heart raced, daring to hope, “What do we have to do?”

“This particular spell she found will allow a witch to stop any living creature’s heart. We can use it on Klaus and it would not affect any of you.”

Tyler glanced at Jeremy before grabbing his hand tightly, “What’s the catch?”

Pam smiled grimly, “The ‘catch’ as Mr. Lockwood has put it is this: if we are to stop a living creature’s heart we must kill a living creature of the same species to keep the balance. If we were to stop Klaus with the spell we would need to kill another human since Klaus is in the likeness of a human.”

Everyone went silent at the words. Tyler sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“We have to kill someone,” he muttered.

“There has to be a way around that, right?” Bonnie asked.

“Unfortunately, no. And most of these spells work in the same fashion in order to keep the balance of nature even.”

“You witches are some violent people,” Damon muttered. “And you think vampires are bad.”

“We do not live off of others for our survival,” Pam snapped and Damon glared at her. Bonnie quickly intervened.

“If this is our best chance at stopping Klaus then we need to take it,” she said as she stood. “All we need is a human to sacrifice.”

“Use me,” Jeremy said, realization dawning on him. “I have the Gilbert ring—if I die by supernatural causes I’ll come back.”

“No,” Tyler said quickly. “How do we know there aren’t exceptions to the rule?”

“Tyler, you have to trust me,” Jeremy said quietly as he cupped his face. “I’m doing this for you.”

“I’m not losing you again,” he hissed. “They can find someone else to sacrifice, not you!”

“The only other person who has a ring is Alaric and we don’t have time to get him! If this is what it takes to keep you alive then I’m doing it!”

“No, you’re not!” he snapped as he stood. “I’m not letting you die for me!”

“It would work,” Pam interrupted their bickering. “If he wears the ring the witches created then it would work. He would come back to life.”

Jeremy shot an _I told you so look_ to Tyler and the hybrid rolled his eyes.

“I don’t like the idea,” he grumbled. Jeremy kissed his arm.

“But it’s the only one that will work.”

“So it’s settled,” Pam said as she stood. She turned to Bonnie and put a hand on her head. “You are still weak but we do not have time for you to heal all the way. I will be doing most of the spell so you will only need to contribute some of your power. Can you do that?”

She nodded.

“How do we know it won’t send her into another coma?” Damon scoffed.

“Because I know her limit, and I will be able to handle most of the power used for the spell, if not all,” Pam reassured. “We will begin practice in the morning. Once we have mastered the spell, I will lift the spell so Klaus will come to us. Be prepared to fight for your lives, for he won’t stop until we are all dead.”


	20. Chapter 20

“In order for the spell to work, someone must have their hand on Klaus’ heart. Once we perform the spell, it will appear as if he has been staked. The most difficult part will be getting close enough to do the spell,” Pam told them around the campfire the next night.

“I can get close enough. I have before,” Tyler piped up.

“Very well. Be cautious not to rip his heart out,” Pam warned.

“You’ve never been that close,” Jeremy hissed when she continued talking. “The last time you were he nearly killed you!”

“But I need to be the one to do this,” Tyler hissed back. “No one else Jeremy. Me.”

“Why?”

“He took everything from me. It’s only fair I pay him back.”

Jeremy gave him a withering look. He didn’t want to admit it, but Tyler did have a point.

“Fine. But do me a favor and don’t let him beat you,” he sighed. He lost his disgruntled look for a slight smile when Tyler squeezed his hand.

“If the spell works as it is supposed to, Jeremy will die and Klaus along with him. Then the ring should bring him back,” she assured Tyler when he made a noise in the back of his throat.

“What if it doesn’t?”

“It will. He will be dying from unnatural causes, which is what the ring protects him from.”

“We’re not going to let him die permanently Tyler,” Bonnie soothed. “We won’t let anything happen to Jeremy that we can’t undo.”

He let out a slow breath and nodded.

“When do we start?”

Pam clicked her tongue against her teeth, “You magic may need a little more time. I can give you another small boost to see how much you can gain in two days. And there are herbs that can help.”

She walked to the forest and disappeared among the trees, not telling anyone where she was going. Everyone gave each other confused looks before slowly scattering to other parts of the camp.

“She’s odd,” Caroline commented. “Powerful, but odd.”

“Did you really kill her coven?” Bonnie asked Damon. He sighed.

“They were trying to kill me back when I was in New Orleans. I didn’t have a choice Bonnie.”

The witch gave him an unreadable look before sighing.

“I guess we should prepare ourselves for Klaus,” Stefan muttered. “We need to start drinking blood.”

“We need human blood if we’re going to be anywhere as strong as he is,” Damon replied. “We’ll have to start tonight and drink for the next few days.”

Elena and Jeremy shared a look.

“Well…at least not all of us are vampires,” Elena sighed as she stood. “I’ll cover Stefan and Caroline. Bonnie has Damon and Jeremy has Tyler. We can make this work.”

“What about the rest of the pack?”

“We can ration our blood to them. It’s fine,” Jeremy murmured. Tyler growled at the thought of sharing but one warning look from his mate ended it.

“I should call Matt, make sure he and Alaric are okay,” Caroline muttered.

“Matt’s fine. He would call if something was wrong,” Tyler admonished lightly. “We don’t give him enough credit. He can take care of himself.”

“Not against Klaus! _We_ can barely handle him and we’re the same species! He might use them against us!”

Jeremy felt his heart sink, “You don’t think…I mean he probably would but—”

“Alaric is fine,” Tyler shot Caroline a glare. “He’s a vampire hunter. He’s trained for the supernatural. They’ll both be _fine_.”

* * *

Alaric sighed as he threw down the essay he was supposed to be correcting. He was so, so tired of this life he lived. It was exciting at first, then Isobel had disappeared and reappeared and hadn’t give a damn about how he would feel and now Jenna was gone for good.

A sharp pain went through him as he thought of her. He squeezed his eyes shut as he remembered begging them for her life, her terrified eyes filled with tears as she reached out for him when Rebekah sank her teeth into her throat and ripped it out.

One tear escaping his closed eyes. He felt even worse that he couldn’t be of help in finding Elena and Jeremy but he was devastated. He found a moment of peace when Damon called to say they found them. They were safe, but Jenna was still dead. It didn’t change anything.

He packed the essays into his briefcase and locked his desk. Making sure the stake used to kill Kol was still in his pocket, he locked the door to his classroom and walked down the dim hallways of Mystic Falls High School. He thought he heard footsteps behind him and picked up his pace, looking over his shoulder and not seeing anyone immediately behind him. He breathed in relief when he saw his truck outside, but a figure landed in front of him and made him jump backwards.

“Who are you?” he asked wearily as his hands went for the stake. The man didn’t move or speak, staring at him blankly.

“What the hell do you want?” he snapped. “If you’re going to kill me then do it!”

“There’s no need to be afraid. We do not mean you harm.”

Alaric whipped around and came face to face with a woman with blonde hair down to her shoulders approached him. She glanced at the vampire for a moment before turning to Alaric.

“My name is Esther. I’m here to ask for your help.”

“With what?” his hand twitched as he mentally prepared himself.

“You are the vampire hunter, correct?”

“Depends who’s asking.”

“You and I can help each other,” she stepped closer and Alaric took a small step back. “You and I both want the same thing. We want Niklaus and the rest of the Original Vampires dead.”

“How am I supposed to help you with that?” he asked curiously. “Killing them is far beyond my abilities.”

She smiled wider, “You have more power than you think. Together, you and I can destroy the Original Vampires and all other vampire’s with them. All vampires were born from the Original bloodlines and once they are destroyed, all vampires will cease to exist.”

Alaric was silent for a moment as he considered what that mean.

“I can’t help you,” he said finally. He fidgeted under her unwavering stare.

She watched him for a moment, her stare unnerving before she sighed.

“You seem to misunderstand me,” she came closer. “I require your help whether or not you want to give it. The Originals must be destroyed and they _will_ be destroyed. You are the only one who can do so.”

“I can’t help you,” he repeated testily. “Find someone else.”

She sighed, “Very well.”

She nodded at the vampire and he broke his neck in the next second. Alaric barely had time to register his movements before he lost consciousness.

* * *

Bonnie closed her eyes in intense concentration as Pam chanted the words to the spell. The magic flowed through her veins, but she started to feel drained as it left her. Another moment of concentration and she didn’t feel anything at all.

“You are not concentrating hard enough. Your mind is preoccupied,” the elder witch muttered.

“I’m doing the best I can,” Bonnie said in a small voice. “I’m concentrating really hard.”

Pam frowned and placed a hand on the back of her head. She reached into a bowl next to her and grabbed two fat mushrooms with a red hue to them

“Eat this.”

Bonnie looked at them skeptically before taking a bite. She spat it out immediately, frowning at the bitter, spicy taste.

“What is this?”

“ _Zjarri Kuqe_. It literally means red fire. They are found in Albania,” Pam sat by Bonnie again. “They were used by witch doctors to revitalize their patients when they were near death. But there is a distinct smell they give the person, and it attracts vampires. Those who were saved by it were often eaten by vampires.”

Bonnie frowned as she looked at the mushrooms, “Is it safe for me to be taking these then? We’re in a camp full of vampires.”

“They will not harm you,” she reassured. She grabbed the entire bowl and gave it to her. “Eat.”

She frowned before forcing herself to eat more. It became less and less bearable with each one as they burned her through fiercely.

“Drink,” she handed her a large bowl of water that she downed in seconds. Pam watched as she continued to force them down.

“You and that vampire are close. Damon,” she stated. Bonnie flushed.

“I know what that must look like to you, but it’s…different with him,” she said quietly. “He’s not the person he once was.”

“Child, you need not explain yourself to me. Matters of the heart are dictated by forces no witch or supernatural being can really control,” she held up her hand. “I can see he has changed. There is no need to defend your choice from me.”

Bonnie gave her a small smile, “Thanks.”

Pam nodded and continued skimming the spell, watching Bonnie eating the mushrooms from the corner of her eye.

“Do I have to eat all of these?”

“Yes. They will help with your concentration and your focus.”

Bonnie sighed and took more water before eating another one. Pam looked down at the spell book to hide her smirk.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

“Ugh, I can’t _wait_ until we get out of these woods! I’m in desperate need of a real shower! Caroline whined as she stared at the open lake. “Stupid Klaus for making us live out here forever!”

“The lake isn’t so bad,” Elena shrugged. Caroline wrinkled her nose.

“You got in the lake?”

Elena flushed as Stefan laughed. The blonde rolled her eyes.

“Forget I asked,” she grumbled. Hearing about sex-capades that she couldn’t have herself was the last thing she wanted. This was one of those times she hated that Matt wasn’t a vampire.

“Hopefully they get this spell down by tonight so we can kick Klaus’ ass and get out of here,” Damon sighed. Jeremy frowned.

“It’s going to be different, going home,” he said quietly, referring to Jenna. Tyler wrapped one arm around him.

“We’ll get through it. I promise,” he kissed his cheek.

“Did you bury her?"

"Yeah. By your parents."

Jeremy nodded, hiding his face in Tyler’s neck for comfort that the hybrid was all too willing to give. He could feel his pain through their connection at not being able to tell Jenna goodbye, just like with his parents.

“Hopefully Pam doesn’t kill Bonnie while doing this spell,” Damon muttered.

“She knows what she’s doing. She’s wise,” Caroline soothed. “Don’t worry about her.”

“Can’t help it. Pam hates me. It wouldn’t surprise me if she let Bonnie drain herself even though she—”

His head snapped swiftly to the direction of the camp when a strong scent caught his nose, “Do you smell that?”

“Yeah, it smells kind of like…the hot tamale’s candy,” Caroline sniffed again. “Where’s it coming from?”

“No it…smells like jasmine,” Damon said faintly. Everyone looked at each other, confused.

“It smells like cinnamon,” Tyler frowned.

“It smells like jasmine, and cinnamon and lavender,” he took another deep breath. “It smells like heaven.”

“Damon?” his brother frowned when he took off. “What the hell?”

“I’m confused,” Caroline stated. “It smells good but not _that_ good.”

“I can’t smell anything…” Jeremy frowned. “Must be a vampire thing.”

Elena shrugged and threw a rock into the lake.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Bonnie jumped when Damon suddenly appeared at the door of the tent. He had a hungry, sultry look in his eyes and it made her shiver.

“What’s wrong?” she frowned when he appeared in front of her. Damon buried his face in her neck and took a deep breath.

“You smell fucking amazing,” he breathed. “Jesus, why do you smell so good?”

“Damon?” she bit her lip when he pulled her closer. Her heart pounded when he licked her neck to her ear and nibbled on it.

“You taste even better,” he breathed. Her knees grew weak at his hot breath on her ear and his hand sneaking its way underneath her shirt.

“Damon!” she hissed as she pushed him away. “What’s wrong with you?”

He felt as if his head were cloudy. He didn’t even notice Pam leaving the tent with a broad smirk, and neither of them noticed the silencing spell she put over the tent. All he could focus on was the witch in front of him and how much he had to have her right there.

“Come here,” he growled as he snatched her into his arms and kissed her hard. She groaned as he picked her up and then laid her down just as quickly. She almost protested when he ripped her shirt and bra in half but then he was fondling her breast and sucking on her neck and she didn’t care. Her hands went under his shirt and pulled it over his head. Their pants disappeared in the next moment. Bonnie didn’t have time to freak out over being completely naked and vulnerable in front of someone for the first time as Damon lowered his head to her core and sucked on her. The pleasure made her arch her back and she cried out, whimpering when he pushed a finger into her.

“Oh my God,” she panted as she rolled her hips. She whined when he rubbed her clit teasingly, making her writhe. “Damon!”

He alternated between sucking and rubbing her sensitive core, making her wetter each passing second. When he couldn’t hold out anymore he slid up her body to kiss her. Using his spit to slick himself he entered her slowly. Bonnie’s eyes flew open when he was all the way inside her.

“Fuck,” he muttered as he kissed her to distract himself from the tightness and warmth around his cock. He massaged her breasts as he thrust into her, slowly at first, and then picking up the pace when she started thrusting back. Bonnie gasped as he wrapped one of her legs around him and moved faster. Her nails raked down his back as he sucked on her neck and she could feel herself unraveling when he continued to hit that spot inside of her.

She cried out and her back arched again when he thrust in harder than before. He stiffened and groaned into her neck as he came in her. Her head fell back against the cot as she sank into it, surprised that they were able to stay on it.

“Oh my God,” she breathed.

“Good?” he chuckled quietly.

“Yeah,” she panted. “I don’t know where it came from but it was good.”

“Can I…?” he bared her fangs to her. “I don’t know what it is but I just—”

“Yeah,” she smiled as she tilted her head to the side. It was odd, she thought as he sank his teeth into her, that she was okay with him feeding off of her. But she couldn’t deny that there was something so erotic and sensual about it. His hand went to her hair and tilted it to the side carefully and had his fill. Her breath hitched when his hand snaked down to her clit and resumed rubbing. When he pulled away, Bonnie saw that the lust had returned and heat pulled in her stomach.

“I’m not finished with you yet,” he gave her a mischievous wink. Before she could ask his head was back between her legs and she was crying out as he brought her orgasm after orgasm.

Outside, Pam smirked as she picked more mushrooms.

“You’re welcome Mr. Salvatore,” she murmured to herself.

* * *

“What do you mean he wasn’t there?” Klaus snarled at the two hybrids that were slightly cowering before him.

“We went to the house you told us to go to but no one was there! So we followed his trail to the school and we didn’t see anything there but a truck and his briefcase!”

Klaus growled loudly in annoyance. Quicker than anyone could blink he’d sliced both their heads clean off their bodies. The hybrids crumpled to the ground, the other’s looking at their leader in fear and alarm.

“What are you looking at? _Find them_!” he roared. The hybrids scattered in seconds. He went to a nearby tree and hopped to the highest branch, looking over the darkened forest and bearing his teeth. He and Jeremy had been separated for nearly a week and he knew that their bond was broken. Tyler and he had reconnected and it made him sear with jealousy. He was going to use Alaric to lure them out but it seemed someone else had plans with him. He wondered who would take him and why.

“No matter,” he muttered as he hopped down. Hopefully someone came back with something useful soon.

* * *

Alaric groaned as he came to, his neck stiff and head pounding as he blinked in the darkness. He raised a hand to his neck when he realized that he couldn’t move them since they were chained above his head. He couldn’t even rotate his wrists, hissing in pain when he tried. He tried to push himself up with his feet but it stretched his shoulders too much and he fell back against the brick wall, groaning in pain. After a moment he looked around to try and asses where he was.

The room was small and looked like a dungeon, the only source of light being a torch sitting in a holder on the wall. There was a stone basin in the middle of the room that wasn’t deep and an old door that had seen better days. The hunter sighed and leaned his head against the brick. No one was even around to notice he’d gone missing.

The door opened and the woman from earlier walked in, a small smile on her face. “You’re awake.”

“What do you want?” he asked tiredly.

“I’ve already told you, I need you to end the Original vampire bloodline,” she walked closer.

“If they go, they _all_ go. I’m not putting innocent people in danger,” he spat. Esther chuckled.

“Vampires are abominations that aren’t supposed to exist. You will be doing the world a favor and your friends will be at peace the way they should have been when they died.”

“But the people that love them won’t be. Those people that were turned, they have loved ones that will die if they go. Klaus has turned werewolves with mates, and if one dies, they’ll die too.”

“That is a sacrifice that must be made.”

“You’re going to kill innocent people because you want to get rid of a couple of vampires?”

“These aren’t ordinary vampires. They are my children,” she sighed. “Finn, Elijah, Rebekah, Kol and Niklaus were created like this out of my desire to see no one else in my family die. They should have lived long, fruitful lives, not turned into monsters. That is my fault and I must right it.”

Alaric’s eyebrows shot up, “You’re their mother?”

She gave him a rueful smile, "Indeed I am."

* * *

Jeremy moaned as Tyler’s fangs sank into the pulsing vein in his thigh while his fingers thrust in and out of him. He choked when they hit that spot inside of him, his cock hard and leaking.

“God that feels so good!” he whined. “Ty please!”

Tyler didn’t think he could get enough of Jeremy’s blood. He forced himself away and cut his wrist to give to Jeremy to heal the wound before kissing him hard. Blood landed on his chest and Tyler licked it away as he spit in his hand to slick his cock.

“Oh my _God_!” Jeremy moaned breathlessly as Tyler pushed inside him. The hybrid groaned in response, thrusting forward when Jeremy grabbed his ass and forced him to move. He thrust in and out to get him used to the feel before quickly picking up the pace. Jeremy cried out when he hit his prostate, and made sure to his it every single time. He didn’t care if anyone else could hear them, and he didn’t think Jeremy did either.

“You close babe?” he rasped in his ear. He nodded frantically.

“Please, please Ty please don’t stop!”

Tyler moved faster. Jeremy choked out cries that nearly sounded like sobs as he thrust harder and deeper. He tilted his head to the side, baring his neck to him.

“C’mon,” he panted. “I know you want it, c’mon.”

Tyler sank his fangs in without a thought. He slammed in just as the blood touched his mouth and they came in unison. He could feel the pleasure and pain that Jeremy felt through their connection and he moaned as his senses went into overdrive. His toes curled into the dirt and the hand not holding him up claw into the ground with his elongated nails. The waves of pleasure washed over him and when they had gone he pulled his fangs out carefully. He fed Jeremy his wrist again before he rolled off to the side of him.

“That was amazing,” Jeremy whispered and Tyler chuckled.

“Yeah, I know.”

Jeremy laughed quietly, “Cocky bastard.”

Tyler lifted his head, kissing Jeremy softly, “It was amazing. It’s _always_ amazing with you.”

Jeremy smiled softly and raised his head to press their lips back together.

“I love you,” he murmured quietly. Jeremy cupped his face gently.

“I love you too. Always.”

“Always,” Tyler repeated as he kissed him again. He rolled onto his back and brought Jeremy into his arms, the boy falling asleep with his head on his shoulder in minutes. Tyler sighed and grabbed his sweatshirt to wrap around him. His thoughts drifted to the upcoming confrontation with Klaus as he stared at the stars. He was scared to lose Jeremy again. He was scared that they would all die. But he couldn’t let Klaus win again, not when he had everything to lose. He was nowhere near ready, like last time, but this time he was prepared to fight to the death for himself and for Jeremy.


	21. Chapter 21

Pam smirked when she entered the tent the next morning with an entire bowl of mushrooms and herbs. Damon and Bonnie were curled together on the cot underneath a thick blanket and she couldn’t help but smile at the nice picture they made. The vampire’s eyes fluttered open when she set the bowl down.

“Her magic has gotten stronger. I can feel it,” she pressed a hand to the sleeping witch’s forehead. “My plan worked.”

“What plan?”

“The mushrooms I gave her are known for bringing humans back from the brink of death and used in potions to make witches stronger, but their effects only last for some hours. The red hue is what attracts the vampires because it attaches to the blood and gives it a stronger smell. To vampires who have had the blood, it is even stronger.”

“Then why did you give them to her?”

“She was under too much stress in trying to regain her magic. The mushrooms helped her to relax and refocus. And now that she has given into her lust for you, she can unwind and let the magic come to her.”

Damon’s mouth dropped.

“You planned this?”

“It is strange, isn’t it?” she grinned before leaving. Damon looked bewildered before laying back down. He silently thanked Pam for her weird mushrooms as he drifted back to sleep.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

“Where the hell is Damon? He ran off so fast last night and didn’t even come back!” Caroline exclaimed later that morning. “You think he’s wherever the cinnamon smell is coming from?”

“I don’t know,” Stefan shrugged. “I thought he’d be here.”

“He is,” Tyler’s nose wrinkled. “He’s with Bonnie.”

“How the hell do you know that?”

“I can catch her scent right under the cinnamon,” he smirked at them. Caroline rolled her eyes.

“So Bonnie was the one that smelled so good?”

“Yeah.”

“I wonder why.”

“To make her stronger,” Pam approached them with another large bowl of mushrooms. “They will actually help you to get stronger too. Any vampire that ingests blood from someone who has taken these will gather more power from their blood. It is meant to boost the immune system.”

“So why did Damon freak out like that?” Tyler frowned.

“To a vampire who has ingested the blood of someone who takes these, they become…irresistible,” Pam gave them a knowing look. “She was too focused on not giving into him and it hindered her progress. The mushrooms merely…eliminated that hindrance.”

Caroline grinned, “These mushrooms sound badass.”

“There are other herbs that will help you grow in strength so that you will be ready for Klaus,” she murmured. “They should be awake now.”

On cue, Damon and Bonnie exited the tent hand in hand. The vampire had a smirk on his face and Bonnie looked flushed and embarrassed. Her friends gave her knowing smirks and she coughed.

“Hey!” she waved awkwardly. They laughed, knowing what they were up to just before they came out.

“How do you feel now child?” Pam sent her a small smile.

“A lot better. I can feel my magic coming back,” she admitted with a blush.

“Very good. You will be able to do the spell after all,” she appraised. She gave Damon a look before going into the tent.

“So this is where you were,” Tyler smirked.

“She needed help with her magic and I was…assisting.”

“I’m sure you were,” Jeremy chuckled. “It clearly helped. You look healthier.”

“I feel healthier. I don’t feel so stressed either.”

“I bet,” Caroline snickered, ignoring her glare.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better,” Elena beamed as she hugged her best friend. She whispered how cute she and Damon were in her ear and she blushed harder.

“Thanks,” she murmured.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

“Sir, we smell something. It smells like cinnamon,” one of the hybrids piped up. Klaus could smell it too and he knew he’d found them too.

“They’re here,” he grinned manically. “I have you now, love.”

“What should we do sir?” a small girl with straight dark hair asked.

“Surround the area. Make sure you have this entire place covered. No one is leaving alive until I get what I want.”

She nodded and the hybrids took off, covering all their bases. Klaus flexed his hands, the grin never leaving as he looked straight into what looked like the woods but what he knew was an illusion. This time, Jeremy wouldn’t escape him, and Tyler’s head would come off his body.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Tyler tensed and looked around, immediately alerting the others. He brought Jeremy closer to him and he growled in the direction of the woods.

“What’s wrong?” Jeremy frowned.

“He’s here,” he hissed.

“Klaus has us surrounded,” Stefan murmured as he sought Elena’s hand. “When she lifts this spell it’ll be a free-for-all.”

Jeremy’s heart started beating hard with fear and he wrapped his arms around Tyler protectively.

“Is there a way out of this?”

“No. We are completely surrounded,” Pam emerged from the woods with two of the remaining hybrids from Marshall’s pack. “Prepare yourselves.”

“How are we to defeat them all? If he’s taken some of our pack members they could have at least fifty or sixty hybrids. They outnumber us,” Mya said worriedly. “There’s barely a dozen of us at best.”

“You need to drink human blood laced with the red fire,” she went into the tent and pulled out all the bowls of herbs and mushrooms. She pulled out another bowl, this one empty.

“You need to eat these,” she handed the giant bowl to Elena and Jeremy. “Once you have, I take some of your blood and feed it to them.”

Elena picked up a mushroom and wrinkled her nose at the bitter taste when she licked it, “We have to eat all of these?”

“Yes. If you want them to live,” she handed them each a small bowl of water. “I would start now. I will join you. And be weary of the side effects.”

She picked up a mushroom and tossed it into her mouth. They watched as she grimaced but swallowed it down anyway. Jeremy picked one up and took a bite, gagging immediately and forcing himself not to spit it out.

“It gets easier…kind of,” Bonnie licked her lips as she ate one, grimacing as she chewed it.

“Really? Because they’re terrible,” Jeremy drank some of the water before getting two more. He gave Tyler a withering glare. “This might be the only time I’m a little envious of you being a vampire.”

“You can do it babe,” Tyler rubbed his neck sympathetically. “Just think, it’ll be worth it when Klaus is dead.”

“I hope so.”

* * *

Alaric groaned as he tried for the millionth time to break free from his restraints. He was confused when he was waking up and saw it was daytime, not remembering falling asleep.

He tried to roll his neck from the tension in his neck but it was no use. His shoulders were starting to become uncomfortable in this position and he wondered how much longer he would be kept like this.

The door swung open and the young man from before walked in carrying a foot-long sandwich. He sat the tray down and took out a key, unlocking the wrist-cuffs. Alaric moaned in pain when his arms fell limply against his sides and he sagged in relief.

“Eat, you will need your strength,” the man said with a blank stare. He left the room quickly, locking the door and leaving Alaric alone once again. He grabbed the sandwich and inhaled it in seconds before washing it down with the glass of water. He sat back against the wall and closed his eyes, falling asleep.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

“What are we to do with him?” Finn asked as they listed to Alaric scream about filthy vampires and bang on the door. “Are we to keep killing him until his true side stays out?”

“That was the plan but now things have changed,” she stood and walked to the large window of the old abandoned house. “Klaus is turning werewolves into vampires.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that the balance of nature is in trouble. A werewolf with a mate is one soul in two bodies. To kill one is to condemn the other to death,” she sighed.

“Is there not a spell to change the werewolves back?”

“They require more power than I have. They also require multiple witches and time, neither of which we have,” she sighed. “They will simply have to die as vampires and be reunited on the Other Side.”

“Humans cannot go to the Other Side, I thought?”

“Then the werewolves must pass through. Most of them usually do. I need all my strength to end Niklaus’ life.”

“What about the boy?” Finn asked quietly; Esther’s eyebrows scrunched together.

“What boy?”

“I heard Elijah and Kol discussing it. There is a boy with a werewolf mate that Klaus wants as his own.”

Esther’s eyebrows shot up, “Oh? Is this recent?”

“I am not sure Mother. But last I heard Niklaus was going to separate them, and take the boy for himself. He wanted to break the bond between them.”

“Then Niklaus is a fool that has sealed his own fate,” she smiled lightly. “If he has succeeded in breaking it, then he will not live for much longer.”

“Why?”

“He has condemned himself. He has separated a werewolf and their mate. He has destroyed a part of their soul. It is the equivalent of murder,” she replied. “He has damned himself in this life.”

“Meaning what?”

“Meaning that his life will come to an end shortly. He will spend the rest of his eternity alone in hell.”

“Will his bloodline die with him? I believe the boy’s mate was his first hybrid.”

“I do not know. That remains to be seen.”

* * *

Jeremy leaned against the tree with his eyes closed as Tyler sucked blood greedily from his arm. It had taken them an hour to eat all the mushrooms and twenty minutes for them to digest it before the vampires and hybrids were nearly salivating over them. They each gave blood for the other six hybrids before going off separately to feed their friends.

“I understand what Damon was talking about now,” he kissed Jeremy’s wound up his arm to his shoulder. “You smell like heaven Jer.”

“I can tell,” he reached over to cup his hardening cock through his jeans. “And we can’t do anything about it.”

“We can go really fast,” Tyler whispered salaciously against his neck. “God I want you so much.”

Jeremy grinned as he smashed their lips together, “You want me all the time.”

“Cause you’re sexy as hell.”

“We don’t have time Ty.”

“Then we’ll _make_ time. Klaus can get his ass kicked after I get yours.”

“That was bad,” Jeremy laughed as Tyler removed their shirts. “Your sex drive is ridiculous.”

“You have _no_ idea,” he grinned as he removed his pants. “I’ll make it really, _really_ fast.”

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

In a different part of the woods, Elena tossed her hair back with a breathy groan as Stefan kissed down her neck to her shoulder. He nipped at her collar bone and fought not to sink his teeth into her. He was afraid, with as good as she smelled, that he would become the ripper all over again. But then Elena would make those noises that drove him insane and he would come back from being so close to the edge.

“We can’t do this now,” she panted as her hands moved up his chest. “Klaus is literally surrounding us.”

“I don’t care,” he ripped his shirt over his head. “I really, really don’t think anyone cares about Klaus right now. You smell so good.”

He slipped her shirt off and unhooked her bra before she could say anymore. She leaned back on the boulder she was sitting on and pushed her chest forward for more contact. He sucked on her nipple and she moaned loudly.

“We should probably stop,” Stefan sighed as he pulled away. Elena protested and wrapped her arms around him.

“No one cares about Klaus right now,” she glared at him when he chuckled. “Besides…this could be our last time.”

“Don’t say that,” he kissed her forehead. “We’ll be stronger and faster than before. Klaus won’t be able to take us all on.”

“But he has hybrids to help him.”

“So do we,” his hands slid down her sides. “This _isn’t_ our last time. I promise you.”

He kissed her hard, and Elena found that she believed him.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Jeremy sighed as he stroked Tyler’s hair as he lay in his lap. Their quickie had turned into two before the hybrid was sated. He gave Jeremy more of his blood to help him recover faster.

“Maybe we should just live out here. The woods aren’t that bad,” Jeremy said softly. “He’d never be able to find us.”

“I don’t think you’d survive. I’m sure you want to eat more than rabbits and berries for the rest of your life,” Tyler chuckled.

“True,” he agreed. “But I would adapt as long as Klaus didn’t find us.”

Tyler lifted his head and cupped Jeremy’s face with one hand.

“I won’t let you down this time,” he promised. “I’m going to kill him, and then we’re taking a really long vacation to a five-star hotel on the beach.”

“Sounds like an awesome plan,” Jeremy grinned as he kissed his forehead. “You didn’t let me down the first time Ty. Klaus is the one who came between us, not your inability to defeat him. You should have never been in that position in the first place.”

“I know,” he said quietly. “None of this should be happening, but it is. We should be living like regular high-schoolers and our only concerns should be what college we’re going to next year.”

Jeremy smiled sadly, “Yeah, but we don’t get that luxury. This is our life and we have to fight for it. I’m not losing you a second time Ty.”

“I can’t lose you again. I’m going to fight him with everything in me,” he murmured as he pulled him into a hug. “But…but if it goes wrong—”

“Then I’ll follow you,” Jeremy cupped his face desperately. “We can’t be seperted. If you go, I go. That’s how the balance works and I don’t want it any other way. If he kills you and takes me, I’ll die before he can make me his again. Even if I have to do it myself.”

“Don’t say that.”

“You know I will. I’ll just be speeding up the evitable. I’ll die without you either way Ty. There’s no point in even trying to live a life without you.”

Tyler kissed his forehead and crushed him to his chest. He hoped, for Jeremy’s sake, that he was strong enough this time. He had to keep him alive.

* * *

Night came faster than anyone wanted and soon they were all back in the camp. Each of them looked tense as they prepared for the fight of their lives. They sat somberly around the fire as they waited for Pam to tie last minute lose ends. Tyler felt his stomach sink when she finally emerged from the tent.

“It is time,” she nodded towards Bonnie. The witch took a deep breath as she stood. Damon stood too and held her for a long moment. He pulled back and pressed a kiss to her forehead before dipping to press a chaste one to her lips. They stared at each other, their eyes saying what they didn’t say out loud. As she started walking away, he grabbed her hand in a weak attempt to bring her back to him but she merely squeezed it and let go. She gave Elena, Stefan, Caroline, Tyler and Jeremy long hugs before standing to the side with Pam.

Elena and Stefan shared a desperate kiss as she stood. She threw her arms around Caroline and kissed Damon and Tyler on the cheek. Tyler and Jeremy turned to each other simultaneously and brought each other into a tight hug. The younger Gilbert felt his eyes water when Tyler buried his face in his neck and gripped the back of his shirt for dear life.

“I love you so much,” he said hoarsely as he kissed his neck. Jeremy nodded, pulling back to press a kiss to his temple.

“I love you too. Always and forever,” he murmured as he pulled back. Tyler wiped a tear from his cheek before he followed his sister and the two witches. Tyler’s eyes never left him until he disappeared beyond the trees.

“He’s going to be fine,” Caroline murmured as she came beside him. “They’re not going to let him die.”

“I know,” he murmured. “He’s not what I’m worried about.”

“I’ve got your back Ty. I’m not letting you face him alone,” she squeezed his arm and he smiled, covering her hand with his free one.

“We’ve _all_ got your back,” Stefan stood and clapped him on the back. “But you can have the honors of killing him. You’ve more than earned it.”

Tyler snorted but smiled nonetheless, “Thanks.”

“How about we make this…interesting?” Damon smirked at the three as he stood. “Whoever kills the most hybrids gets $100, Klaus not counting.”

“Seriously?” Stefan shook his head with a smile. Caroline laughed and Tyler smirked.

“Seriously Stefan. Are you not up to the challenge?” Damon threw his brother a smirk. Stefan returned it.

“I never said that. You’re on Damon.”

“Get ready to have you’re asses handed to you,” Tyler grinned at them.

“You wish, Lockwood,” Damon shot back. “I’ve been waiting for this since he took Stefan. I’m not letting this opportunity go to waste.”

“Don’t complain when I beat all of you,” Caroline grinned. Damon scoffed.

“We’ll see Barbie. We’ll see.”

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

“It won’t hurt will it?” Jeremy asked anxiously. Bonnie shook his head with a reassuring smile and continued to smooth his hair back, the small orbs of light floating around the cave they found to hide in making her expression look sad.

“Not at all. You’ll just feel the life draining out of you.”

“Sounds pleasant,” he grumbled. Elena giggled and grabbed his hand.

“You’ll be fine, Jer. They know what they’re doing.”

“I know. I just wish we didn’t have to do this at all,” he sighed. Elena smiled sadly and kissed his forehead.

“Start the chant,” Pam said to Bonnie. “When I lift the spell around the camp then I will join you. You are strong enough to carry it alone for a few seconds.”

Bonnie nodded. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she found her focus and concentrated on her words. She placed her hand over Jeremy’s heart as Pam muttered under her breath. Jeremy had closed his eyes but he was still gripping Elena’s hand tightly, the ring fitting snugly between their clasped hands.

There was a moment of eerie silence where the only noise was the muttering of the two witches before snarling and screams sounded outside. Pam immediately joined Bonnie and took over, placing her hands over Bonnie’s on Jeremy’s chest.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Stefan pulled his hand from the hybrid’s chest, throwing the heart on the ground before swinging around and sticking it in the back of another one, his teeth bared in a snarl, “Five!”

“Liar! That was three!” Damon called as he tackled the hybrid rushing for him. He quickly flipped the hybrid onto his back before twisting and pulling hard, the blood splattering on his face. “Six!”

“You’re _so_ not on six!” Caroline yelled as she twisted a male hybrid’s arm behind his back before quickly kneeing him in the chest and throwing him on the ground before ripping out his throat. She barely had time to recover when a female hybrid was charging her and she flipped up and behind her before grabbing her head and twisting it to the side with a sharp _snap!_ The woman struggled and fought but Caroline was stronger and used her strength to twist again, causing the hybrid to go limp and fall to the ground. “Four! Have you seen Klaus Ty?”

“No! Bastard’s probably hiding!” Tyler snarled as he crouched low in front of two, big hybrids. They both bared their fangs at him and he smirked before hopping up into the tree, the two hot on his trail. He landed on a branch above them and quickly grabbed a thick branch next to him, breaking if off the tree with one hand. He hopped down onto the branch below and knocked one hybrid out of the tree before swinging the branch into the other one. The hybrid snarled in pain and anger and sunk his nails into Tyler’s arm. He tried to shake him off but the nails were in deep. He threw the branch into him again with a snarl before jumping from the tree, the hybrid still attached to him and he threw his arm hard, making the hybrid fly into the tree. The moment the man hit the tree he screamed as Tyler rammed the thick branch into his chest. His face contorted as he writhed for a few seconds before he went limp.

Tyler snarled when the other male hybrid hopped on his back and grabbed his neck with his hands, trying to rip his head off. He grabbed the hybrid’s arms while running simultaneously into the tree in back of him. The hybrid was persistent and held on, even when Tyler made his back connect with the tree over and over again, making the tree split at the base and fall over. Suddenly he was gone and Mya was standing over him, holding his decapitated head in her hand.

“Nice,” Tyler grinned. She grinned back but her face quickly changed as a hand went through her chest. Tyler stared in horror as Klaus ripped her heart out from behind and pushed her dead body to the ground.

“No!” he cried.

“That is the fate that you and all your friends will meet,” Klaus snarled as he lunged for him. Tyler anticipated the attack, and leapt for him when he was close enough. His fangs sank into his throat and he yanked hard as he narrowly missed his claws plunging into his chest. The elder hybrid snarled in fury as he landed, righting himself before lunging again. Tyler managed to dodge it, and every other attack he delivered, managing to wound Klaus effectively each time.

He had just slashed through Klaus’ arm a second time when Caroline and Stefan came on either side of him to grab his arms and Damon grabbed his head in a chokehold. Each of them were covered in blood and had wounds here and there but looked fine otherwise.

“Do it now, Tyler!” Caroline urged. The hybrid didn’t have to be told twice. He plunged his hand into Klaus’ chest and grabbed his heart when they heard screams coming from within the forest. Dread hit him when he recognized it.

“Bonnie!” Damon snarled as he darted into the forest. Stefan’s heart stopped when he heard Elena’s cries for help.

“We have to get to the cave!”

“What about him?” Caroline cried as she pulled Klaus’ arm. “We can’t let him go now!”

Tyler growled and squeezed his heart, his claws sinking into it and making it bleed. Klaus howled in pain and dropped to his knees. It would be so easy to rip it out now, he thought. If he wouldn’t have died with Klaus, he would have done it.

“Bring him back to the camp,” Stefan ordered. Tyler removed his hand and they dragged him back to the camp, where the rest of Marshall’s pack, including him and Mya, lay in pieces. The rest of Klaus’ hybrids, if there were any, were nowhere to be found. Pam’s tent was completely destroyed, the cloth hanging in tatters as it flowed in the wind. Tyler looked around in dismay and sadness at the pack that had taken him in like family.

“They’re all dead,” he choked. He heard Elena and Bonnie whimpering and his heart pounded.

“Jeremy!” he cried as he took off for the forest. He followed the screams until he found the cave and stopped cold at what he saw.

Pam lied on the ground, her expression of fear frozen on her face and a hole in her chest. Her heart lay next to her head, along with the heads of the two hybrids that had attacked her. Damon held Bonnie close to him, his face covered in blood and his eyes feral. Elena cowered against the wall, her arm stained red from blood and Jeremy lay in her lap unconscious.

“Oh baby,” he pulled him into his arms and cradled him. “What happened?”

“They came out of nowhere!” Elena blubbered. “Then they came for me a-and Bonnie b-but then Damon came.”

“Did they attack Jer? Why isn’t he awake?”

“I don’t know,” she whimpered. “They were in the middle of the spell and they just came!”

“The spell wasn’t complete,” Bonnie said softly. Tyler stared at her in alarm.

“What does that mean? What does that mean for him?” he cried anxiously. “You guys said you wouldn’t let him die!”

“He’s not—I don’t know why he’s not—!” she shook her head, not being able to speak anymore. Elena whimpered and cowered more into Bonnie’s side. Tyler turned worried eyes back to Jeremy, the shock and denial already sinking into him.

“No—no, no, no, no baby don’t do this to me don’t _do_ this!” Tyler pleaded as he shook his mate. “C’mon Jer don’t do this to me!”

Stefan appeared at the entrance. Elena sobbed as she stumbled to her feet and threw herself into his arms. Damon scooped Bonnie into his and tucked her face into his neck as he left. Tyler was still shaking Jeremy desperately, ignoring the fact he was sitting in a blood-soaked cave.

“Tyler—”

“He’s not dead—I know he’s not I can _feel_ it! Wake up Jeremy! Goddamnit just wake up!”

“Tyler, let’s get out of the cave,” Stefan said quietly. Tyler looked around, realizing where they were before he nodded. He lifted Jeremy carefully and followed his friends.

They stumbled through the woods and back to the camp clearing with the mangled bodies of the hybrids. Caroline shot up from the boulder in the middle of the came and grabbed Elena in a tight hug.

“Thank God,” she whispered as she saw Damon set Bonnie down. “What happened?”

“Pam’s dead,” Stefan sighed. “The hybrids got to her.”

“Where’s Klaus?” Elena croaked. Caroline pointed to him on the ground, makeshift stakes out of large tree branches sticking out of his chest, arms and legs. He glared at them, and then he spotted Jeremy. He fought against the stakes but he only managed to make himself bleed more and growled in pain and anger.

“What did you do to him?” he spat to Tyler. He glared at his maker before moving to the other side of the camp and sitting with him in his lap.

“Jeremy c’mon. Open your eyes, _please_ ,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“What did you _do_ Tyler?” Klaus snarled angrily. Tyler shot him a nasty glare.

“If it wasn’t for you he wouldn’t be like this right now! If you want to blame someone, blame yourself!”

“You shouldn’t have come for him! He was perfectly happy and healthy with me!” Klaus shot back. “You can’t even keep him alive you pathetic little—”

His sentence turned into a howl when Stefan shoved the branch in his arm deeper into the ground.

“I have a special method with which I’m going to kill you _Ripper_!” he hissed.

“I’m sure you do,” he rolled his eyes.

“I’m going to make each and every one of you pay. Especially you,” he glared at Elena. “I’m going to break every bone in your body you wench!”

Stefan shoved both branches in his legs down far, making him howl in pain.

“Don’t look at her,” he snarled. Klaus spat out blood but didn’t remove his glare from Stefan.

“What are we supposed to do with him?” Caroline lowered her voice as she came around to Stefan and Damon. “We can’t kill him now.”

“We need another witch,” Damon sighed heavily. “If only his mother hadn’t run away.”

“We’d be better off without her. She wants all vampires dead,” Elena mumbled. “Pam was our best hope.”

“And now we need another one—think. If you were a witch, where would you be hiding?”

“Anywhere,” Bonnie said faintly. “They could be anywhere.”

Tyler held Jeremy closer to keep him warm. He stared into Jeremy’s face and prayed hard for him to wake. Suddenly, his eyes flew open and he inhaled deeply, coughing at the end.

“Jeremy! Thank God,” Tyler sighed in relief. He sat Jeremy up on the ground between his legs and leaned him against his chest. “Are you okay?”

The others had immediately surrounded him when they heard Tyler say his name. He looked at them and frowned when they appeared blurry.

“Jeremy? Say something! Can you talk?” Bonnie’s hand was on the back of his head and he felt every bit of her skin pressed against his head. He jerked back in surprise and everyone stared at him.

“What’s wrong?”

“I—I don’t know! Everything’s so...sharp.”

Sharp was a serious understatement. His vision had cleared itself and he felt as if everything were in high definition. He could see the beads of cold sweat on Bonnie, he could count nearly every strand of blonde hair on Caroline’s head and he could see Elena’s blood pumping through her neck, rushing faster and faster and the vein seemed to jump at him and he just wanted to have it rushing over his tongue.

“Jeremy!” Elena cried when he lunged for her. Tyler grabbed him and pulled him a good distance from the group. He snarled and fought against him.

“Jeremy stop!” he snapped as he pinned him to a tree. “Look at me!”

Black veins appeared under his eyes and his eyes turned black. Tyler gasped and pushed him into the tree further when he struggled to get back to his sister.

“Just give it to me!” he rasped. Caroline gasped and covered her mouth. Elena’s dropped open and everyone watched him in shock.

“Oh my God,” Bonnie whispered. “He’s in transition.”


	22. Chapter 22

“How is he in _transition_?” Elena cried. “He has the ring on! The spell wasn’t even done!”

“I don’t know how this happened,” Bonnie shook her head in complete disbelief. “The only thing I can think of is that his heart stopped when the hybrids attacked us. And he must have had blood, Tyler’s blood.”

“Jer,” Tyler said slowly when he calmed down. “Do you understand what’s happening right now?”

Jeremy stared back at him with wide, frightened eyes, “I’m a vampire.”

“Not yet. You have to feed first,” he said softly.

“I almost killed my sister because…because I’m a vampire. She smells like cinnamon,” he said faintly.

“You’re not one _yet_ ,” Tyler insisted. “You have to feed Jer. Do you want to go through with it?”

“I…I don’t have a choice,” he said weakly. “If I don’t I’ll die. And then you’ll die.”

“You _do_ have a choice. If you don’t want this, then that’s okay,” Tyler murmured. “If you go, I go, remember? We’ll be together no matter what you decide to do.”

“You would be okay if I decided we should both die?” Jeremy asked incredulously as he shoved him away. “What the hell? Who says that?”

“Babe, it’s okay,” Tyler tried to pull him back but Jeremy leapt away from him. “Just take a deep breath and—”

“I can’t fucking take a deep breath! I can’t fucking _breathe_! I’m can’t breathe because I’m fucking _dead_!” he screamed hysterically. “Oh my God I’m _dead_! I’m dead for good!”

“Jeremy, it’s okay,” Stefan said carefully, as if talking down a wild animal. “Just calm down.”

“Go to hell Stefan!” he snarled. “Don’t tell me to calm down! I never wanted to be this! I never wanted to be a fucking monster!”

“You’re _not_ a monster Jer.”

“Of course you would say that! You’ve been like this for nearly 200 years!” he screamed. He clutched his head as he doubled over in pain.

“Jer,” Tyler tried to approach him again but Jeremy hopped back with a snarl.

“Stay the fuck away from me!” he snapped to the stunned hybrid. “This is all your fucking fault!”

“What?”

“I wouldn’t be like this if it weren’t for you! If you had just killed Klaus like you were supposed to when you said you would _never_ let anything happen to me I would be _fine_!”

Tyler shut his mouth abruptly, setting his jaw to keep from snapping back in hurt. The others looked at each other in shock. While it was common for Jeremy and Tyler to fight, it had never sounded like this before.

“I’m sorry that I nearly died trying to save you that night,” he hissed, trying to keep his voice controlled but the hurt shone through. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t strong enough to defeat the world’s strongest vampire for you Jeremy but I tried! I tried with everything in me and it damn near killed me.”

“Then you should’ve tried harder,” Jeremy growled. A tense silence fell over them. The others watched the two teens carefully, wondering who would make the first move.

“He is right you know. If you had killed me you wouldn’t be in this situation right now,” Klaus called from the ground. Jeremy turned to him in surprise, seemingly forgetting that the hybrid was there. His eyes narrowed to slits and before anyone could say anything, he was by the hybrid and pushing in all the branches with all his newfound strength so they sank even more into the ground. Klaus howled and writhed in pain as the pieces of bark nearly disappeared through his body.

“If it weren’t for you, I _really_ wouldn’t be like this,” he snarled in such fury that everyone tensed. “You ruined my life! You turned the love of my life into a fucking monster!”

Tyler suppressed a wounded whimper at being called a monster by his mate. He knew Jeremy hated him being a vampire but there was nothing he could do about it. It hurt to know that this was what he really thought of him.

“Jeremy stop!” Elena cried. “Please calm down!”

“You turned him and you didn’t even know if he would live! You gave him your tainted blood and played with his life like it was a fucking game! It wasn’t a _fucking_ game Klaus! It wasn’t a fucking game to me! And then he was sired to you! You made him put _you_ first above everything he loves! You turned him and tried to take him away from me!” he screeched as he pressed the branches even further.

Klaus gritted his teeth as he watched the enraged teen. He couldn’t help but think that he still looked stunning even though he was causing him serious pain.

“I should just fucking kill you,” he bent down to Klaus’ level. “I should just rip your heart out myself. I’m a fucking vampire now. I have the strength. And then we would all be free of you.”

“And you would die along with me since you drank your boyfriend’s _tainted_ blood,” Klaus spat. “You and all your little friends you’ve worked so hard to save.”

His hand was around Klaus’ throat so fast it would have made his head spin if he wasn’t so angry.

“A lot of fucking good that did me, didn’t it?” he sneered. “I try to save everyone else and I get the short end of the fucking stick.”

“Jer, it’s okay!” Bonnie cried. “Let us help you Jer! There’s still time to fix this!”

“You want to kill me? Go ahead,” Klaus smirked. “But I know you can’t do it. Being with Tyler has made you soft. Even if I was ripping his heart out you wouldn’t be able to find it in you to kill me.”

“You want to test that theory?” he snarled. “You wouldn’t get within twenty feet of him before I tore you to pieces. And when we get to hell, I’ll rip you apart there too.”

“Tough words Jeremy. But can you back them up?” he raised a taunting eyebrow. “When I get free of these branches, he’s the first one I’m coming after. Tyler’s going to die either way, the only decision to be made is by my hand or yours.”

“Don’t listen to him Jer,” Stefan put his hand on his shoulder as his hand tightened significantly. “You’re not a killer. You don’t want this.”

“Yes I do,” he snapped. “I’ve never wanted to do something so much.”

“Babe,” Tyler croaked. “This isn’t you. Please don’t do this.”

The pain in Tyler’s voice made him let go of Klaus’ throat. He turned around with wide watering eyes and met Tyler’s sorrowful ones.

“This isn’t you,” he repeated softly. “I know you’re pissed and you’ve got every right, but don’t let him talk you into doing something you don’t want.”

Jeremy took one look at Klaus’ taunting smirk before he scrambled away from him. He hit Tyler’s chest and collapsed as it all became too much. The hybrid’s arms went around him and lowered him to the ground as his sobs broke free.

“What is _wrong_ with me?” he wailed. “I didn’t mean that! I didn’t mean _any_ of that Ty!”

“I know, I know,” he soothed as he buried his face in his neck. “It’s just your emotions. You’re alright babe.”

“I love you so much!” he turned his face to kiss him. “I don’t think you’re a monster! I don’t know why I said that and—and I know you did everything to save me! I know you did and you almost died and—and I couldn’t help you—!”

Tyler hushed him with another desperate kiss, “You’re okay Jer. It’s all going to be okay, I promise. Just breathe.”

Beyond them, Elena and the others watched them with a breaking heart.

“Is there a way to fix this?” she asked Bonnie desperately.

“I’m not sure. I still don’t know why the ring didn’t bring him back.”

“Maybe because the vampire blood worked faster?”

“But the ring still should have saved him from the witchy spell,” Damon sighed as he sat on a rock. “I sure as hell didn’t see this coming.”

“So what do we do now?” Caroline said heavily. “We can’t kill Klaus, Jeremy might decide not to turn, and we don’t even have a witch that can help us.”

“Pam’s spell book had that spell that we were going to use on Klaus. Maybe there’s a spell in there that can help Jeremy,” the young witch turned to Damon. “Can you go get it? It’s in the cave.”

He sped off and was back in a few seconds. Ignoring the blood splatters, she set the book in her lap as she flipped through the pages.

“This looks like really dark magic,” Stefan murmured.

“It is,” she skimmed through the spells. “Pam and her coven used to practice it.”

“Human sacrifices?”

“They did animals, but yeah,” she stopped at the spell. “Here it is. I could perform this on myself to get to the other side and find Jeremy I could bring him back to this side.”

“No,” Damon protested. “You need two witches for this.”

“I have some magic Damon.”

“Not enough for the spell.”

“If I don’t do this then Jeremy will die!”

“And if you do this, _you_ will die! Or go into another magic coma and I don’t know another fucking witch that’ll wake you up!” he retorted. They glared at each other heatedly.

“What about doing it on someone else? Will that require any less magic?” Elena asked, breaking the tension.

“I wouldn’t feel right doing this to another person,” Bonnie sighed. “I’d be killing an innocent person.”

“Not if we gave them Jeremy’s ring,” Caroline chimed in. “If they wear it, they’ll come back.”

“We’re in the middle of the forest! There’s no one out here for miles and we’re too far from Mystic Falls to go get Matt or Alaric!”

“How long do we have?”

“Until tomorrow night. We could find someone in that time,” Stefan looked around. “Someone must have heard all the fighting that was happening. Maybe like a forest ranger or someone.”

“Or maybe a hybrid that we didn’t kill,” Caroline said slowly. “Some of Klaus’ hybrids ran when they attacked us. Maybe some are still hiding out here.”

“Perfect. We get rid of another hybrid and save Jeremy’s life. Win-win,” Damon hopped down from the rock. “Where’s Tyler so he can sniff them out.”

“He's a little preoccupied,” Klaus said dryly. “They might as well have done it right here and put on a show for all of us.”

They turned to where Tyler and Jeremy were, only to find that they were not there. Damon pinched the bridge of his nose when he located them and heard exactly what they were doing.

“Teenagers,” he grumbled. “Even in the midst of a crisis they find time to get laid.”

“If my hybrids did run away, I doubt you’ll be able to find them,” Klaus told them. “You can’t change what is to come. He has to turn or he dies, there’s no way around that.”

“There is,” Bonnie snapped. “And we’re going to make it happen.”

“How? You have no magic,” he sneered.

“But we do have mushrooms,” Damon winked at her. She giggled.

“Talking about Jeremy and Tyler getting laid and you want me to eat those mushrooms?”

“Hey, I have way more self-control than both of them put together. Besides, they did help, didn’t they?”

“Yeah they did,” she shook her head with a fond smile. “Fine. But I’m going to need a lot of water.”

“Then Caroline and Elena will get it for you while Stefan and I track down the hybrid. I guess asking Tyler’s help would be too much for him right now,” Damon rolled his eyes as he grabbed his brother’s arm and started for the woods. “If Tyler happens to come your way within the next twenty-four hours, tell his ass to come help us save his boyfriend from vampirism.”

“What about Klaus?” Caroline called.

“There’s plenty of trees Barbie. Get creative,” Damon called over his shoulder before they disappeared among the trees.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Jeremy panted as he came down from his orgasm. Next to him, Tyler’s chest was still heaving, his breath visible against the cold night air. The stars were bright and clear above them, and Jeremy didn’t think he’d seen anything more beautiful with his improved vision.

“Stars are pretty,” he murmured as he reached out to touch them.

“Yeah,” Tyler agreed quietly. He glanced at his mate, not at all sure what to say to him out of fear of setting him off.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” Jeremy murmured as he rolled onto his stomach. “I really didn’t mean that about you not being able to save me. I don’t know where it came from but I swear I don’t feel that way Ty. I was really scared that night, and I never got to express that to you until now, I guess.”

Tyler rolled over to kiss his shoulder.

“I know,” he whispered. “I was scared too. My number one fear was you getting taken away from me and it happened.”

“When you were fighting him a tree fell on my leg and I got stuck. And you were ten feet away from me and I couldn’t get to you. And he just kept…walking closer like he was going to kill you. I still have nightmares about that,” he whispered. “I was stuck, and I could do nothing to help you and I thought you were going to die.”

Tyler ran his hand down his hair.

“I don’t want to be a vampire. I never wanted that life,” he admitted. “But if I had to choose between living with you for eternity and being on the Other Side for eternity, then I choose life Ty. I’m not going to put you through the pain of our bond breaking again because of my selfishness. I’m not going to make you relive the worst day of your life. I know you would do the same for me.”

Tyler gave him a weak smile, “I’d do anything for you.”

“Yeah. Ditto,” their noses brushed together. “As long as you’re by my side, I’ll get through this.”

“You don’t even have to worry about that Jer. I always have your back,” he reassured. “I got you. Always.”

* * *

Alaric groaned as his eyes fluttered open. He frowned when he didn’t remember falling asleep, and for so long either. It was nighttime again and the last thing he remembered was eating his sandwich during the day.

“You’re awake. That’s good,” Esther closed the door behind her.

“What the hell are you doing to me?” he hissed at her. “I’ve been asleep for an entire day! Are you poisoning me?”

“Heavens no,” she laughed. “Killing you would serve me no purpose.”

“Then what am I doing here?”

She came closer to him.

“What do you know about that ring you wear?”

“What? This?” he flashed it to her. “It bring people back when they die from supernatural causes.”

“What if I was to tell you that that comes with a price? Surely you didn’t think that you could die and come back as you pleased without some consequence?”

Alaric stared at her.

“You wake up sometimes with no memory of how you got where you are. You’ll be doing something and then the next moment you’re waking up, without wanting to go to sleep in the first place. You have disturbing dreams of hunting and killing the creatures that killed the woman you love,” she said softly. “And each time you die, it takes you longer and longer to find your way back to your body.”

“How the hell do you know all of this?”

“Your ring has a lot of power. It is cursed to bring out the darkness in its wearer. In your case, it brings out your true nature as a vampire hunter. And now that that side of you has been awakened, it wants to do the one thing you failed at: kill the vampires.”

Alaric stared at her before he chuckled.

“You’re out of your mind. There’s no way I have a dark side.”

“Oh no?” she smiled. “Finn!”

The male vampire was inside in a flash, “He needs proof of his ring. Show him.”

Finn nodded and was behind Alaric in a flash, snapping his neck to the side. He fell limp and Finn placed him back on the ground. Fifteen minutes later Alaric sat up with a groan and glared at them.

“What the fuck are you trying to do?” he yelled.

“Again, Finn,” Esther’s eyes never left the vampire hunter’s form. Alaric tried scooting away this time but Finn easily caught him and snapped his neck again. He opened his eyes ten minutes later and sat up carefully. His eyes landed on Finn and fury took over his features before he hopped up and lunged at him. Finn easily dodged him and exited the room. Alaric hit the door, pounding on it as he screamed in fury.

“Vampire hunter,” she called and he stopped immediately.

“Who are you?” he snapped.

“My name is Esther. You and I want the same thing,” she took a step closer. “You and I have a common enemy, one that we both wish to destroy.”

He gave her a cold stare in response.

“My children are the Original Vampires. They were created of my doing and now they are out of control. They must be destroyed, and with them every bloodline of vampire.”

Alaric stared at her with narrow, calculating eyes.

“There is a way that I can make you stronger. If you consume the blood of the Petrova doppelganger, one from the same bloodline used to create my children and we combine her blood with the ash of White Oak, you will become more powerful than all of them combined. And as your weapon, I will solidify the White Oak stake with your ring to ensure that it be indestructible.”

He sneered at her, “Where is this doppelganger?”

“My son Niklaus has taken her in the hopes of creating an army of hybrids. She is the only remaining human doppelganger left of that bloodline. Only her blood will help you in your quest.”

An evil smile spread across his face, “Tell me where to find them.”

* * *

Jeremy hissed when a ray of sunlight hit his skin. He rolled over so he was further in the cave, clawing at the ground as everything became blurry and shaky again. Tyler rubbed his back soothingly.

“Do you think their plan will work?” Jeremy asked quietly as he stared out into the open forest.

“Maybe. If they can find a hybrid.”

“If they’re smart, they’re far away from here.”

“Werewolves are territorial. They probably went back to their original camp.”

“Hopefully,” he huffed as he rolled onto his back. “I’m hungry.”

“I know babe,” he kissed his hand. “Just hang on.”

Caroline appeared at the entrance, blocking the sun from him momentarily.

“How are you Jer?” she asked softly. He snorted.

“The sun hurts, I feel like shit and I’m hungry. I’m fucking amazing Caroline.”

“Sorry. Stupid question,” she smiled sympathetically. He sighed.

“What’s happening?”

“Bonnie’s still eating mushrooms. She’s almost through the bowl, but she says she feels stronger. Elena went to go find more for her. Damon and Stefan haven’t found any hybrids yet. They might need your help to take them down when they do.”

“So who’s watching Klaus?” Tyler asked incredulously.

“Me, obviously,” she rolled her eyes. “He sent me up here to get you. He wants to see Jeremy.”

“Fuck no,” he snorted. “He’s the reason Jeremy’s in this situation.”

“Well he won’t stop bugging me and Elena about it.”

“No,” Jeremy mumbled against Tyler’s stomach. “Tell him to leave me alone.”

“He also wants to speak to you. He says it’s important.”

Tyler rolled his eyes, “Fine. Stay with him.”

He ran out the cave and appeared just before the wounded hybrid. Klaus had slowly bled out since he was pinned to the ground and he couldn’t help but feel smug that he was now the wounded one.

“What the hell do you want?” Tyler snapped. “I’m not in the mood for your bullshit.”

“Whatever it is you’re planning to change Jeremy’s fate is not going to work,” Klaus interrupted. “He has to feed or he will die. Not even your witch can play God.”

“You obviously don’t know Bonnie. There are a lot of spells in that book that can change a lot of things,” Tyler sneered.

“Believe me when I say I never wanted him to become a vampire. If I could change his fate, I would.”

“Fucking bullshit! You would’ve turned him after you bonded with him regardless if he wanted it or not!” he snarled. “I’m not a fucking idiot Klaus!”

“Regardless of what I wanted, he will die if he doesn’t feed and so will you. There is no way out of this.”

“Then I guess we’ll just be dead,” he retorted. “At least we’ll be together and away from you.”

Klaus rolled his eyes and snarled when Tyler started walking away.

“Don’t you dare let him die! Don’t let him choose death over immortality!”

Tyler laughed wryly, “This is the reason that Jeremy will always chose me over you. You’re so selfish that you would never take his wants into consideration. If Jeremy doesn’t want to be a monster, then he doesn’t have to be. If he wants to die rather than live for an eternity, then that’s his decision. I take Jeremy’s decisions and choices seriously because he’s my life. That’s what mates are Klaus. You could never understand that because you only know how to love yourself.”

“If it is between death and life then I would give him life! I wouldn’t let him die because he didn’t want to live as a monster! If you loved him you would make him chose to live!”

“What the hell would you know Klaus? You don’t know the first thing about putting someone before yourself. If you did, you wouldn’t have spent centuries alone.”

He rushed back to the cave, leaving the pissed hybrid snarling and yelling after him.


	23. Chapter 23

“The sunset’s pretty,” Jeremy mumbled weakly.

“Yeah,” he mumbled distractedly as he cradled him. “Hanging in there babe?”

“I feel so weak,” his voice was dry and hoarse. “I don’t know how much longer I can hold out Ty.”

“It’s okay Jer,” Tyler whispered. “If you can’t hang on, don’t”

“I’ll hang on as long as I can for you. I don’t…want you to die,” he rasped. His voice seemed to be carried away with the breeze.

“Babe, this was going to happen someday. It’s just happening sooner than we thought,” he soothed. “If you really can’t hang on, then don’t put yourself through that torture.”

“I’ll drink the blood,” he whispered. “If…if it doesn’t work then I’ll feed.”

“Are you sure?” Tyler asked, surprised. Jeremy gave another flimsy smile and snuggled into him as much as he could.

“Yeah. If I have to live forever at least you’ll be there too.”

Tyler chuckled, “That’s true.”

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Caroline was startled awake by her cellphone buzzing in her pocket. She made sure Klaus was still in his spot before answering, “Hello?”

“We found a group of them. In the spot that they were before,” Stefan said quietly into his phone. “Tell Tyler we need his help.”

“How far away are you?”

“Don’t know. Tell him to hurry, the sun is almost down.”

“Right,” she hung up and darted into the cave. Tyler gave her an anxious look.

“They found some in the spot that we were before. Where we first saw Klaus,” she murmured. “They need your help.”

“Stay with him,” he murmured. He kissed Jeremy’s forehead.

“I’ll be back really soon,” he promised. He turned to the blonde, “How’s Bonnie? Can she do it?”

“She says she can. She’s eaten the whole bowl so she’s stronger than before. But it’ll only last for a couple hours, so we need to do it fast.”

“Tell them I’m on my way,” he muttered before taking off. Caroline sighed before lifting a surprisingly light Jeremy into her arms.

“Ty,” he rasped as his eyes fluttered open.

“It’s me. He went to get the hybrid with Stefan and Damon,” she hopped down from the cave. “I have to watch Klaus, so you have to come with me.”

“As long as he doesn’t talk to me,” he grumbled as he shut his eyes. Caroline giggled.

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t.”

She set him down by Elena and slipped his ring off to hand to her, “I don’t think he’ll need this.”

“I’ll keep it safe,” she promised. Klaus snorted from beyond them.

“What now?” the blonde snapped.

“You’re wasting your time. This is never going to work,” he laughed. “Even if those fools do managed to bring you a hybrid, nothing will be able to change Jeremy’s fate.”

“Yes we can,” Bonnie retorted. “I’m not giving up until I have to.”

“Then he’s going to die.”

“No one asked you,” Caroline sneered. “Jeremy is going to be fine. All we have to do is do the spell and once it works, we’re out of here for good.”

“Is that right?” he chuckled. “Well then good luck to you.”

She threw him a nasty sneer before sitting by Elena again. While waiting for Bonnie to consume all the mushrooms, she had taken it upon herself to get rid of the body parts thrown around camp. She put them in a pile and burned them in the middle of the clearing, the pungent smell assaulting her nose like cleaning materials would. Now the fire had died down and there was no evidence of the massacre that had taken place.

“Do you think they had trouble?” Elena asked after nearly half an hour.

“I hope not,” Bonnie murmured. As the words left her mouth four people stumbled into the clearing. Caroline was by them in a flash and holding the head of the hybrid woman that was thrashing between Tyler and Damon.

“Calm down,” she murmured as her eyes dilated. “You’re safe. Nothing is going to happen to you. Just calm down.”

The woman immediately stopped struggling and retracted her fangs and claws. Her eyes lost the yellow color and became blank.

“You’ve gotten good at that,” Stefan appraised. Caroline gave him a small smile.

“How is he?” Tyler murmured as he ran to his mate. “Jer? You still with us?”

“Yeah,” his voice was gravelly. “I’m hungry.”

“Put her here,” Bonnie waved them over. Damon dropped her unceremoniously in front of the witch and collapsed against the boulder with a heavy sigh.

“This better work. We nearly got mauled back there,” he grumbled.

“Put Jeremy next to her,” Bonnie ordered. “If the spell doesn’t work, will you feed Jer?”

“Yeah,” he rasped. “I’ll feed.”

“I’m glad you decided to live,” Caroline said softly.

Jeremy snorted, though it was with a weak smile, “Elena wouldn’t know what to do without me.”

“You’re right,” she laughed as she kissed his forehead. The veins appeared under Jeremy’s eyes and Tyler pulled her away before he could nip her.

“Sorry,” he rasped.

“You’re okay,” Tyler kissed his forehead. “You’re going to be fine babe. Everything’s going to be okay.”

“You’re wasting your time!” Klaus barked. “He is not going to live if you don’t give him Elena’s blood now!”

“Make sure those branches are in him good,” Damon muttered. Stefan pressed them back down, destroying Klaus’ progress of wiggling them out of his limbs. The hybrid hissed in pain.

“You’re going to regret this,” he snarled.

Bonnie opened the spell book and sat on the side of the hybrid woman. She tried not to think of her as an innocent werewolf turned into a vampire, but rather as someone who needed to die for the betterment of mankind.

“You can do this,” Caroline said next to her. “We all believe in you Bon.”

“I know…I just feel guilty,” she murmured. “She doesn’t look any older than us.”

“And she would kill us if we let her go right now,” Damon said lowly. “Don’t let her get to you. Just concentrate on the spell and Jeremy. You’re doing this for him and Tyler, your friends.”

She took a deep breath and nodded, tossing her long hair to one side.

“This spell will ensure that she switches places with you,” Bonnie told Jeremy. “If it works, you’ll be back from the Other Side and no longer in transition.”

Tyler held Jeremy’s limp hand as Bonnie placed her hands over the calmed hybrid’s heart and Jeremy’s and started chanting. Almost immediately the wind picked up. Their hair flew in the strong breeze as Bonnie’s voice grew louder and louder. Her nose started to bleed and Damon caught the scent immediately.

“Bonnie!” he grabbed her shoulder but Stefan pulled him away from her.

“If you interrupt the spell it could make things worse,” he muttered. “Let her do this.”

“She’s going to fucking die Stefan!” he snarled.

“No, she won’t. Have faith in her.”

Tyler watched his mate’s face intently. His eyes had shut and his hand was completely limp but their bond was still intact. He could still feel Jeremy and his pain at not having fed yet, he could feel his sorrow at possibly becoming one of the undead and it gave him reassurance that he was still alive in there.

Bonnie’s chanting quieted did the wind slow and finally stop. She opened her eyes slowly and wiped the blood from her nose.

“Did it work?” Caroline asked after a moment when nothing seemed to be happening. Tyler placed his hand gently on Jeremy’s face. He felt cold and it made him panic.

Bonnie shook him, “Jeremy.”

She shook him harder when he didn’t respond, “Jeremy! Can you hear me?”

“Oh my God,” Elena breathed. “It didn’t work did it?”

“It _had_ to! I said right!” she said stubbornly. “I’ll do it again to make sure.”

She placed her hands back over their hearts and started chanting. This time, there was no wind, no obvious sign of power being channeled. Bonnie opened her eyes and stared at her hand with wide eyes.

“I…I don’t have any more magic,” she breathed. “The spell took all of it.”

“Fuck,” Caroline ran her hands through her mused hair. “What the hell do we do?”

“He’s still alive,” Tyler murmured as he held Jeremy’s hand close to his lips. “I can still feel him. He’s still there.”

“I told you this was a waste of time! Now he’s dead because you wouldn’t do the obvious thing and feed him!” Klaus roared. “I hold each and every one of you accountable for his death! You best run far and fast when you leave because I will rip out your hearts!”

“You’re the one most responsible for this!” Elena screamed. “If it weren’t for you and your obsession with my brother we wouldn’t even be out here!”

“You’re lucky that I need you alive Elena. Otherwise I would make you suffer the worst kind of death possible,” he snarled lowly.

Suddenly Jeremy’s eyes flew open and he coughed while trying to take in gulps of air. The others gathered around him excitedly.

“Babe?” Tyler asked anxiously. “You feel okay?”

“Yeah,” he breathed, a wide smile spreading across his face. “I’m fine.”

Tyler laughed and crushed him to his chest. He nuzzled his neck in pure relief. He could hear his blood rushing under his skin and it nearly brought tears to his eyes.

“You feel okay?” Bonnie asked as she looked him over as best she could. “Nothing feels out of place or anything?”

“No,” he laughed as Tyler kissed his face repeatedly. “I’m fine Bonnie! I’m better than fine!”

Klaus stared at them in shock.

“Impossible,” he breathed. “How did it work?”

“Told you it would,” Caroline smirked at him. She glanced over at the still hybrid next to them, “What do we do about her?”

“Bury her, burn her, who cares,” Damon shrugged. “Our real problem is sitting twenty feet from us.”

Bonnie buried her head in Damon’s chest, trying not to look at the woman she sacrificed. He stroked a hand down her hair.

“You did the right thing Bon,” he murmured. “It was the right thing to do.”

“Was it?” she muttered as she stared at him with watering eyes. “I just killed someone Damon.”

“To save two more people,” he said firmly. “You saved Jeremy and Tyler. And she had a peaceful death. Now she can be in peace.”

Bonnie nodded, trying her hardest to believe that the woman passed through the Other Side and found peace beyond it.

“What do we do about Klaus?” Jeremy murmured. “We can’t kill him.”

“We can’t leave him alive either,” Damon muttered. “We need another witch.”

“Bonnie, do you have relatives that would help us?” Elena asked. She shook her head.

“I don’t know them if they are witches. My dad hated witchcraft and my mom…she never told me about them.”

“Well what do we do until we find a witch?” Caroline’s eyebrows furrowed. “The stakes won’t hold forever.”

“Leave him,” Stefan shrugged. “Stick a bigger stake in him and we can get a head start to wherever we need to go.”

“If we go back to Mystic Falls, we can’t stay there. He’ll go there first,” Elena added. “But where are we going to go?”

“We should move this conversation somewhere else,” Tyler stood and picked Jeremy up, relishing in his warm skin. “Let’s get as far away as possible.”

“Hold on,” Damon disappeared and returned with a couple more branches. He gave Klaus a wicked grin before shoving them one by one into his chest, his arms and his legs. Klaus grunted in pain and glared at Damon hard.

“Go ahead, get your head start! Run as far as you please,” he snarled. “But I will find you and I will take back what is mine! You can’t hide forever!”

“We sure as hell can try,” Damon pressed the branches down none too gently. Klaus gave him a furious snarl.

“I’m going to kill your witch first and I’m going to make it slow and painful just for you. I’m going to make you watch it all and then I’ll kill you.”

Damon smirked as he leaned in, “That’s a good plan, Klaus. But you’ll have to find us first. And I’m an expert at lying low.”

“Let’s go,” Stefan placed Elena on his back, waiting for Bonnie and Jeremy to get situated before the group took off for their hometown.

* * *

Alaric groaned as he opened his eyes. His head was pounding as he looked around the cave and he wondered how many days he’d been held captive.

Suddenly his vision started to grow black around the edges and he blinked multiple times to clear his head.

 _Give in_ , a voice whispered. _Give in to your true nature_.

“Hello?” he called with a frown. There was silence for a few moments before the voice spoke again.

_Give in._

“What the hell is happening?” he whispered. The door to the dungeon creaked open and Esther and Finn entered. He felt a sudden hatred wash over him as he looked at Finn and it bewildered.

“Still the same,” she murmured. “Perhaps you are right.”

“When he turns, he will remain with us,” Finn muttered. Alaric scrambled to the corner in fear when they approached him.

“Stay back!” he threatened. “Don’t turn me into one of them!”

“It is the only way you will be able to defeat my children,” she said softly.

“Get the fuck away from me!” he snarled angrily. “Don’t turn me into one of them!”

“It is the only way you can destroy the Original vampires. It is your true nature, vampire hunter.”

“I don’t _want_ to hunt! I’m tired of killing monsters!”

“If you do this for me, I can make your suffering end,” she said softly. “I can reunite you with Jenna.”

Alaric’s heart pounded as he looked at her, “How do you know…?”

“I know everything about you hunter. You lost the woman you loved to my daughter and I am giving you the chance to avenge her. Destroy my children, and I will ensure you have a peaceful death. I will ensure that you are reunited with her and you may spend an eternity with her, if you so desire.”

Alaric knew she had to be playing him. She was only a witch, she wasn’t God. There was no way she could make that happen. And yet, as she held out a hand to him, he took it with the overwhelming hope that everything she was saying was true. He would miss his friends and they him, but he couldn’t bear to live one more day in darkness like this.

“What do I need to do?” he muttered as he watched two rats playing with each other in another corner. Esther smiled.

* * *

When the group reached Mystic Falls Caroline immediately took off for Matt’s house with the promise of meeting everyone at The Grill the next day. The Salvatores, Bonnie and Elena went to the boarding house and Tyler took Jeremy back to his. He grabbed Jeremy’s hand and squeezed hard when they passed his house which was now just a dirt lot since the debris was cleared in the middle of the night.

“I can’t believe it’s gone,” he whispered as they stood in front of the mailbox, the only part of the house that hadn’t burnt down. “It all seems surreal.”

“I know,” Tyler murmured, thumb stroking over his knuckles. “That whole night seems surreal. Sometimes I wonder if it actually happened.”

“Me too,” he and Tyler turned to each other at the same time and their lips met immediately in a passionate kiss, one full of relief to finally be back home together after everything. Tyler scooped him into his arms, never breaking the kiss. Jeremy moaned as he cupped his face gently. They pulled apart when he needed air and they pressed their noses together, his thumb caressing his cheek.

“Smells like rain,” he murmured. Tyler nodded, looking at the sky to see dark clouds covering it for miles.

“Let’s go home.”

He took off at a comfortable pace down the street still carrying Jeremy in his arms. When they reached his house, he set Jeremy down and rang his door bell. They barely waited five seconds before it was thrown open.

“Tyler!” his mother exclaimed as she threw her arms around him. “Where in the world have you _been_? I’ve been calling you for days!”

“I know,” he patted her back. “It’s a really long story.”

She pulled back and caught sight of Jeremy.

“Jeremy?”

He waved sheepishly, “Hey Mrs. Lockwood.”

“We were told you and Elena went to Colorado to stay with relatives,” her brow furrowed. “What are you doing back here?”

“It’s a long story,” he rubbed the back of his neck.

He frowned when she was no longer looking at him, but rather at the ground with wide eyes. It was then he noticed that he was still holding Tyler’s hand.

“Are you two…?” she looked between them. They shared a look before nodding simultaneously.

“Is that where you’ve been this whole time? In Colorado?” she demanded to her son. “Tyler I swear—!”

“No, Mom. Neither of us was in Colorado,” Tyler rolled his eyes. “It’s a really long story.”

“Well get in here,” she ushered them inside. “You two are going to explain this _long story_ to me after you’ve had showers and eat. And don’t you dare put those clothes on my carpet! They look filthy.”

Tyler chuckled as he led Jeremy upstairs, still holding his hand.

“Separate showers!” Carol screamed from the base of the stairs.

“Yes Mom,” Tyler sighed. Jeremy snickered.

* * *

“Mom?” Bonnie called once the four were safely inside the house. “Mom are you still here?”

“I told her to hide. I thought Klaus might come after her,” Damon said quietly. She kissed him quickly.

“You did the right thing,” she murmured. Damon kissed her forehead and brought her around to the couch, setting her down before looking her over.

“How do you feel? Do you feel weak?”

“I’m fine, just tired,” she smiled. “I don’t think I’ll be doing magic for a while.”

Elena and Stefan made themselves comfortable by the fire and Damon fit himself between Bonnie and the arm of the couch. Silence overtook the four before Elena broke it with a question.

“What do we do now?”

“We need to hide until we figure that out,” Damon said quietly. “If we still want to kill Klaus, then we’ll need to find another witch.”

“But that could take months. And Klaus won’t be in the same spot. He’ll free himself eventually, or someone else will.”

“He won’t stop coming after Elena and Jeremy. He’ll probably kill Tyler and Bonnie and us too,” Stefan murmured.

“Then we need to hide separately,” Damon sighed. “If we’re split up he’ll have a harder time coming after all of us.”

Elena frowned, not liking the idea. “Where would we even go?”

“Anywhere. At this point the world is fair game. The further we are from Mystic Falls and each other, the safer we’ll all be.”

* * *

It took Jeremy and Tyler an hour to explain the entirety of what had happened since last summer to his mother, minus all the dirty details. Her face seemed to be permanently frozen in shock as she looked at her son and her son’s…mate-lover-boyfriend.

“So…you two are bonded…forever?” she clarified. They nodded simultaneously and she smiled.

“So you’re basically married.”

“What?” Tyler laughed as Jeremy blushed a deep red. “Well…if you want to put it that way then yeah.”

“When this is all over we’ll have to have a ceremony,” she beamed. Tyler let out a groan and Jeremy chuckled, still blushing. “C’mon Ty! It’s only appropriate! If you and Jeremy are bonded for life in werewolf terms then you should make it official in the eyes of the law!”

“Fine…but only if you do all the planning,” Tyler conceded. “I don’t know anything about weddings.”

“Well first we need to start with a ring. And you need to propose.”

“Why do I need to propose? We’re already together!”

“Fine, we can skip that. But you and I will go to the jewelers tomorrow and find Jeremy a nice ring.”

“Are you kidding? Jeremy isn’t a chick,” Tyler grumbled. One stern look from Carol made him stop.

“Gay men get each other rings too Tyler. It’s not a woman thing. It’s a sign of appreciation, a gesture of love,” she gave Jeremy a warm smile. “I’m sure he will appreciate it.”

“I would,” Jeremy gave Tyler a small smirk. The werewolf rolled his eyes.

“Fine. I’ll get you a ring.”

“They open at 9 tomorrow morning. Do you have any preferences Jeremy?”

“Can’t this wait? Klaus is still out there and we all need to move,” Tyler protested. “You have to go to Aunt Hailey’s and we have to figure out what we’re going to do.”

“You can spend one day with your mother,” she snapped. “I haven’t seen you in a month Tyler. We’re going to the jewelers tomorrow and you’re going to get your husband a ring.”

Tyler groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Jeremy chuckled.

“Fine. But as soon as we get home you have to go.”

“I will. I just need to think of a good excuse to tell her,” Carol mumbled to herself as she took a sip of hot chocolate. “She’ll want to meet Jeremy so whenever you think it’s safe to get to North Carolina, come visit her.”

“Okay,” he smiled. He couldn’t believe how cool his mom was with him and Jeremy. If his father were alive it would probably be a different story. He snorted into his mug and shook his head.

“What wrong?” Carol frowned.

“Just wondering what Dad would have to say if he knew about this,” Tyler finished his mug. “He’s probably rolling in his grave right now.”

She gave him a small, sad smile. “If your father was a werewolf, he would understand that this is something that happens. You can’t help who you love Ty. Even he would have to understand that.”

“I doubt that. He tried to make Jeremy and I fight each other once.”

“He would’ve dealt with it if he wanted to stay in this house,” Caroline smiled at their laughter. “Your father wasn’t the most loving, but he would’ve come around eventually. I believe that if he saw you two together and saw how happy you made each other that he would have to accept it.”

Tyler and Jeremy smiled at each other.

“Well, it’s been a long month for both of you,” she stood. “Go get some sleep. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

Tyler stood and kissed her cheek before pulling her into a hug.

“I love you, mom,” he murmured softly. “Thank you.”

“I love you too,” she whispered as she hugged him. Jeremy looked away, a pang going through his heart as he thought about Jenna.

“Jeremy,” she wrapped her arms around the troubled teen. “I’m so sorry that you lost your Aunt the way you did, but we’re family now. You can come to me for anything, okay honey?”

“Thanks Mrs. Lockwood,” he whispered, a lump forming in his throat. She pulled back and kissed his forehead.

“Call me Carol,” she murmured. He nodded and smiled at her before taking Tyler’s hand going upstairs.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Later that night, Jeremy jolted awake at sat up straight not entirely sure what woke him. Tyler was sound asleep next to him, his arm resting across Jeremy’s waist and his warm breath hitting his naked back. He shivered when he felt a draft overcome him and he shook Tyler off, looking for his boxers and his shirt that were strewn across the room in their frantic attempt of undressing each other as quickly and quietly as possible so Tyler’s mother wouldn’t know what they were up to.

Quietly he slipped on a pair of Tyler’s boxer and the T-shirt he let him borrow before opening the door as quietly as possible. He looked up and down the hallway but he didn’t see anyone in sight. He padded downstairs slowly, extra alert for any noises but there was nothing significant.

He was relieved when he saw a light on in the kitchen. He pulled a glass out of the cabinet and filled it with water from the refrigerator. He finished the glass in one gulp and sat it in the sink when the lights flickered, making him freeze. Fear gripped at his heart as he whipped around but he saw no one there.

“Hello?” he called quietly. There was no answer, the eerie silence taking over again. He swallowed heavily before he took careful steps back into the hallway. The lights in the kitchen flickered again but not as badly as the first time.

There was a sudden whirling noise coming from the living room. Jeremy pressed his lips together as he walked out further into the hallway, looking around for the source of the noise, praying it wasn’t Klaus.

“Hello?” he called again, shivering when he felt another draft blow by him. He turned around and stumbled back in shock at what he saw. He was sure if he hadn’t stumbled into the wall that his legs would have given out. The sound of a giggle reached his ears and his eyes went wider than saucers as he stared at the girl in front of him. She was wearing the exact same outfit she was dressed in when Caroline discovered her body in the woods a year ago.

“Vicki?”


	24. Chapter 24

Jeremy was positive he was seeing things because Vicki Donovan was dead. In fact, he watched as Stefan put a stake in her heart and he felt like he was dying inside as she shriveled up. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and opened them again but Vicki was still in front of him.

“Oh no,” Jeremy murmured shaking his head. “This isn’t happening. This _can’t_ happen.”

“Can you _see_ me?” her eyes went wide. “Jer, you can see me?”

“Yeah. I’m losing my fucking mind,” he whispered. “This isn’t possible.”

“It is possible,” a new voice sounded from his right and Jeremy jumped, eyes growing impossibly wide at the sight of Anna standing next to him.

“Hey Jeremy,” she whispered with a smile. Jeremy gaped at her, lost for words.

“Holy shit, holy shit, _holy shit_ ,” he breathed as he sank to the floor. He clutched his head tightly. This was by far the craziest thing to happen to him. There was seriously something wrong with both of his dead ex-grilfriends being in his current boyfriend’s house.

“Jer?” Tyler asked sleepily as he came down the stairs. Jeremy watched with wide eyes as he walked through Vicki. “What are you doing down here?”

“You—you just—” he sputtered. Tyler frowned and looked behind him.

“What?”

“Ah—um n-nothing,” Jeremy stood, still staring at him with wide eyes. “Let’s just—let’s just go to bed.”

“Okay…” Tyler frowned. “Are you sure you’re—?”

“Yeah! Yeah I was just…dreaming. It was just a dream,” he reassured himself. He looked around again but his exes were no longer in sight. “Let’s go to sleep.”

Tyler looked as if he didn’t believe him but went back upstairs anyways. Jeremy sighed in relief when he didn’t see them again and he followed his boyfriend back upstairs. He crawled in next to Tyler and held him tightly to his chest, smiling when he felt Tyler’s arms wrap around him and he closed his eyes, pushing Vicki and Anna to the back of his mind.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Jeremy woke alone the next morning. He frowned when he sat up, peeking past the bathroom door to see if Tyler was in there but he heard no noise. He turned to Tyler’s side of the bed and saw a piece of paper folded on the pillow with a rose on it. Jeremy grinned and gently took the rose off before opening it.

 _Went shopping with my mom to find your engagement/wedding ring. There’s waffles and bacon if you’re hungry. Make yourself at home. Love you_ _J_

Jeremy laughed and shook his head. He didn’t think having a wedding was big deal but he would humor Mrs. Lockwood. He could only imagine the looks on everyone’s faces when he told them they were getting married.

He got out of bed and stretched his tired limbs, working out the kinks in his muscles. He grinned when he thought of last night and why those kinks were present. After hopping in the shower, he found one of Tyler’s old football shirts and a pair of his old jeans before going downstairs to make himself something to eat.

After he was done she took his plate and he went back upstairs. He passed Mr. Lockwood’s study and saw that the door was cracked open. Feeling drawn to the room, he carefully pushed the door open, looking for any sign of anyone in there but seeing no one.

He walked further into the room, taking in the polished bookshelves and glass cabinets with trophies and awards behind the doors. Jeremy smiled at one of Tyler’s trophies he received for being MVP in sixth grade football. Next to the trophy was a picture of a sixth-grade Tyler. Jeremy’s smile grew when he took in his red T-shirt, dark, messy hair and bright, toothy smile.

“Wasn’t he the cutest?”

Jeremy cried out in shock and jumped backwards when he saw Vicki.

“You should see the pictures of him in kindergarten. The ones of him and Matt are adorable,” she smiled fondly.

“How…how can I see you?” he asked carefully.

“Not sure. Probably because you died,” she smirked. “I would ask if you missed me but clearly you haven’t.”

“Of course I miss you!” Jeremy protested. “You have no idea how much it hurt when you died!”

“Hurt so much you ran right into my boyfriend’s arms,” she walked around. “I was really surprised when you two started your thing. I didn’t think Tyler would ever turn gay, but I had a suspicion about you.”

“What the hell does that mean?” he snapped.

“I don’t know. You were always different Jer. Always into art and music and drawing, never into sports or anything Tyler was into. You were always sensitive and I liked that about you. Apparently Tyler does too.”

Something in her voice was taunting and it set him on edge. His elation at seeing his first love quickly disappeared and turned into annoyance.

“I think I liked things more when you were both fighting over me, not shoving your tongues in each other’s mouths each second you can,” she leaned on the late mayor’s desk. “But I guess things change.”

“Yeah, they do,” he rolled his eyes. “Were you expecting us to mourn you forever and not move on?”

“I expected more from _you_ than hopping into bed with that vampire girl and then my boyfriend Jer. Tyler, not so much,” she laughed lightly. “I didn’t think you guys would last this long. Tyler’s hot and you’re…well, you.”

“What do you want Vicki?” he sighed.

“To catch up! So tell me, who’s better in bed; Tyler or that hybrid guy that turned him?” she smirked. “You have slept with him right? I mean, you and Elena were gone for a while before they left. I wouldn’t blame you. He is pretty hot.”

Jeremy gritted his teeth.

“Oh you have! I bet Tyler loved that when he found out!” she laughed. “Wow Jeremy, little bit of a rebel there aren’t you?”

“Did you show up just to taunt me?” he barked. “Or does it make you mad that he cares about me the way you wanted him to care about you?”

“Of course he cared about me. We were _dating_.”

“Meeting up for sex in the middle of the night isn’t dating. He never loved you, but you wouldn’t listen to me no matter how many times I tried to tell you that.”

“You don’t know the half of our relationship,” she retorted. “I know it pisses you off that you were just my rebound but what Tyler and I had was really special Jer. Don’t think that you can ever replace me in his heart. He’ll never forget me.”

“We _never_ talk about you. If you were so damn important then you would be his soul mate, not me,” he smirked. She glowered.

“I never realized what a cocky bastard you are. You’re just like him.”

“I’m only telling you the truth Vicki. Tyler and I have always been drawn to each other, and you were our only connection. We fought because we didn’t know how else to deal with how we felt about each other.”

“You’re full of shit,” she sneered. “You’re just saying that because you’re mad I never loved you.”

Jeremy couldn’t deny that that stung.

“You only loved me when Tyler was being a dick,” he sighed. “It doesn’t matter now Vicki. We’re together, we will be for the rest of our lives and then some. Get over it.”

“You actually believe in that bonding werewolf shit?” she laughed. “Please Jer. Tyler’s going to leave you for the next girl or artsy boy that wiggles their ass in front of him. He never was the type to be faithful.”

“Tyler hasn’t been with anyone since me. He’s buying my engagement ring as we speak.”

“Rings don’t mean anything Jeremy. Jesus, you sound like a girl,” she laughed again. “You’ll see when I come back to life. He’ll definitely reconsider you when he can have this.”

He frowned, “What are you talking about? You can’t come back from the Other Side.”

“There’s this witch who says that’s not true. She’s got all this magic and she says if I do one thing for her, then she’ll push me over.”

“Do what?”

She smirked, “I have to give her your sister.”

“What?” he cried. “Who the hell are you working for Vicki? What does she want with Elena?”

“Can’t tell you,” she laughed. “Something about needing her blood to give to a vampire hunter so he can kill her out-of-control children. I didn’t ask. I don’t care about family drama. I have enough of that in my own life.”

“What vampire hunter?”

“That history teacher that replaced Coach Tanner. I never remembered his name.”

“Alaric,” Jeremy whispered in dismay. “Where is he Vicki?”

“I don’t know,” she snapped. “All I know is that he wants to kill the vampires that killed the love of his life. He looked pretty pissed. I wouldn’t go near him.”

“You have to know where he is!” Jeremy cried. “Who’s the witch that’s helping you?”

“The mother of that hybrid that took you. Speaking of…I’m sure she would love to meet you,” she grinned. “She wants to see the person who makes her son so happy. Maybe she’ll even reunite you both before she kills him.”

“Don’t you dare tell her where I am!” he snapped in anger and fear. “Vicki I swear—!”

“You’ll do what Jeremy? I’m already dead,” she taunted. “Maybe I’ll bring him straight to you. That way Tyler will be free for me when I return.”

“You’re insane!” he spat. “He can’t even see you!”

“I’ll find a way. I was always a sucker for romance and he does seem to love you so,” she smirked. He glared at her heatedly.

“I’m done with this,” he snapped as he stormed out. “If you think giving me to Klaus will make Tyler love you then you’re fucking wrong!”

“Don’t listen to Vicki. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” Jeremy stopped mid-step and turned around to face Anna. “She’s bored. She’ll say anything to get you riled up.”

“Anna,” he whispered as he walked closer. “How are you?”

“Dead. Bored,” she shrugged with a smile.

“Do you see my aunt over there?” he asked softly. She shook her head.

“She never passed to this side. She went on Jer. She found peace.”

“That’s…that’s good,” he whispered, feeling a pang that he wouldn’t be able to see her. “Have you been watching me this whole time?”

“I’ve been wandering around town looking for my mother,” she smiled at him. “But then Bonnie brought you back and I knew you would be able to see me.”

She looked around the hallway and shook her head with a fond smile. “So, Tyler Lockwood, huh?”

“I know,” he laughed. “It’s crazy but…we make sense. I really love him.”

“I can tell,” she became nostalgic for a moment before shaking her head slightly. “I miss you Jeremy. I’m sorry I left you the way I did.”

“It’s not your fault,” he murmured, pain hitting him as he remembered how Anna was taken away from him.

“You look good,” she murmured. “He’s been good for you. I can see that he’s better for you than I ever was.”

“Tyler’s my soul-mate. Even if you had lived and we had stayed together, I would have found my way to him eventually.”

“That’s how werewolves and their mates are. No matter whom they’re with at the time they always manage to find their way to the one they’re supposed to be with,” she sighed wistfully and looked at the large, watercolor painting sitting in front of them. “Have you seen my mother?”

“I haven’t,” he shook his head. “Maybe I can call her or something.”

“You would do that for me?” she beamed. He returned her smile and nodded.

“Of course! At least you’re not trying to give me back to Klaus,” his smile slipped at the thought of Vicki’s threat. Anna looked around for a moment before leaning in closer.

“She made a deal with Esther. I tried to warn her because she really has no idea if the witch will give her what she really wants but she won’t listen to me.”

“What does she want with Elena?”

“I don’t know. Something about a ritual and your sister being the only human doppelganger. She needs her blood.”

“Don’t they always,” he sighed. “I need to warn her. I need to tell her about Alaric and Vicki and—”

He frowned when Anna was no longer next to him.

“Anna?” he called but she didn’t show her face again. His brow furrowed in confusion. When she didn’t reappear he sighed, confused by what was happening. Would they ever catch a break?

Suddenly feeling exhausted, he went back into Tyler’s room and crawled into bed. He hugged the werewolf’s pillow to him as he drifted off.

He was reawakened when he felt kisses being pressed down his neck and a hand slipped into his boxers. He opened one eye to find Tyler straddling him, grinning widely.

“Hey beautiful,” he pulled his boxers away and stroked his half-hard cock. “Good sleep?”

“Yeah,” he groaned as he turned onto his back. “How was shopping?”

“Annoying, but I found your ring,” he licked his lips when Jeremy’s back arched. “I think you’ll like it.”

“I’m sure I…will,” he bucked up when his thumb ran over his leaking head. “Tyler.”

“I know,” he grinned as he slid down his body. He kissed the insides of his thighs before licking up the fat vein underneath.

“Tyler!” he whined. He laughed as he took him into his mouth and his whine turned into a low moan. His eyes fluttered shut as he got lost in the sensations. When he opened his eyes again he was staring at Vicki’s smirking face.

He shouted in surprise and jumped to the side, kicking Tyler in the nose as he fell off the bed. The werewolf groaned in pain though it only stung for a moment.

“What the hell Jeremy?”

Jeremy blinked rapidly as he stared at Vicki laughing from the other side of the bed. He quickly found his boxers and put them on, not noticing Tyler’s bewildered expression.

“Jeremy?”

“Did I interrupt?” Vicki chuckled meanly. “Don’t let me stop you.”

“Go away!” Jeremy snapped irritably, forgetting Tyler couldn’t see her. “What the hell is your problem?”

“I’m not going anywhere. Get used to seeing me around,” she taunted. “You wanted me back so bad when I died and now you got your wish.”

“I take it back now. I’m better off without you around.”

“Jeremy!” Tyler’s face was full of confusion and fear. “Who the hell are you talking to?”

Jeremy glared at Vicki before sighing deeply and sitting on the bed, dropping his head in his hands. Tyler watched him carefully, taking a seat next to him.

“What is it?” Tyler asked softly. Jeremy looked past him and saw Vicki smiling at him while she brought a hand to his mate’s face. He gritted his teeth and held his hand tighter.

“I…I have to tell you something,” he took a deep breath. “I can see Vicki.”

Tyler stared at him hard, “What?”

“I know I sound insane…but last night I went to the kitchen for water and I felt this breeze hit me and then she was just…there. And then Anna was there. And they were talking to me and they could hear me.”

The werewolf kept staring, “ _What_?”

Jeremy sighed, “I don’t know why I can. I just…I _see_ them Ty. Vicki’s standing next to you now.”

Tyler looked all around him quickly before turning back to Jeremy, “You’re serious?”

“Unfortunately,” he gritted out. He glared when Vicki winked and kissed Tyler on the cheek.

“How long have you been seeing your dead ex-girlfriends?” he narrowed his eyes. Jeremy smiled at his jealous tone.

“Just last night.”

“Have they…said _why_?”

“No. Well Vicki has. You’re not going to like what she wants.”

“Don’t you _dare_ Jeremy!” she barked. “Don’t tell him anything!”

“Which is what?”

“She wants to come back to this side…to be with you. She wants to give me to Klaus so that you two can be together,” he said lowly. Vicki fumed, her face contorted in fury.

“You’re dead you little shit! When I’m alive again you’re dead!”

“She’s threatening me right now,” he said softly. Tyler looked behind him, then ran a hand through his hair with a heavy sigh.

“Okay,” he stood and rubbed his face. “We should probably call Bonnie and…try to fix this.”

“You piece of shit! You’re such a dick!” she screamed furiously. “This doesn’t change anything Jeremy! He’s still going to choose me over you!”

“The hell he is!” he barked back. “Get over yourself Vicki! He doesn’t want you!”

“When Klaus shows up and I’m back he’ll forget all about you!”

“Jer?” Tyler said carefully. He pulled out his phone when he didn’t look either to answer. “I’m calling Bonnie.”

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

“I should’ve known something like this would happen,” Bonnie muttered as she, Tyler and Jeremy sat at a booth at The Grill later that evening. “I don’t think it went right because there weren’t two witches to balance the power. The ancestors were pissed that I did dark magic and they told me there would be consequences.”

“This is a hell of a consequence,” Tyler grumbled. “Can he see everyone on the Other Side that’s dead?”

“Probably. He knew Anna and Vicki personally, which is probably why he saw them first. But I imagine he can see anyone on that side.”

“I don’t believe this,” Jeremy groaned. “And now Vicki wants to bring Klaus here so she can take my boyfriend.”

Tyler rubbed his back in sympathy.

“I’m guessing you won’t be able to fix this?” he asked. Bonnie shook her head regrettably.

“Not right now. I brought someone back who was technically supposed to be dead. I’d have to figure out where I went wrong, starting with the spell and I’m just not up there yet. Sorry Jeremy,” she squeezed his hand. “When I recover though, I’ll see what I can do.”

“I appreciate that,” he murmured, squeezing back. He sighed and looked at the pool tables where Elena, Stefan, Matt and Caroline were talking and laughing while enjoying a game.

“This is fucking fantastic,” Jeremy grumbled. “We finally get rid of Klaus for a while and now this.”

“I was under the impression that you and Vicki were friends,” Bonnie frowned. “I thought you guys were together before she died?”

“Not really. She was just rebounding from him,” he snorted, nodding at Tyler. “I was her back-up for when he wasn’t acting right.”

“Oh…sorry,” Bonnie said sympathetically. “I can’t believe she would do something like this though. This doesn’t sound like her at all.”

“Yeah it does,” Tyler snorted too. “But I don’t blame her. I was horrible to her when we were…whatever we were and she didn’t deserve it.”

“She does now,” Jeremy snapped angrily. “She wants me out of the picture so she can have you back.”

“That’s not going to happen,” he soothed. “But she didn’t deserve how I treated her. Neither did you. I was an asshole to you both. She deserved better than me.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Jeremy snapped as he faced the werewolf. “She deserved better than you Tyler? Really?”

“Well she did…” he frowned at the glare he was getting. “What?”

“Thinking she deserved better means you actually cared about her. And I’m sorry, but having sex in the backseat of your car any chance you get and then dumping her the next day is a shitty way of showing it!”

Where did that come from?” Tyler asked in surprise. Bonnie looked between Tyler’s confusion and Jeremy’s sudden aggression and she pressed her lips together.

“I’m going to go…” she trailed off as they didn’t bother to look at her and she quickly slid out of the booth.

“Jeremy,” Tyler said carefully. “Why are you mad?”

“Did you only want her for sex or not?” he snapped.

“Well…I mean that’s how it started out,” Tyler started uncertainly. “But then she kind of became my girlfriend so I felt… _something_ for her. I don’t know why you’re making a big deal out of it now.”

Jeremy stared at him for another moment before he scoffed and pushed Tyler out of the booth so he could get out. “I don’t believe this.”

“Jeremy—!” Tyler grabbed his arm but Jeremy threw him off and turned around.

“Maybe you would like it if she came back and I was with Klaus! You two could have the perfect little sham of a relationship you had before I came along and involved myself with either one of you!”

“What the hell is your problem?” Tyler snapped back. “Vicki is dead! She’s _staying_ dead Jeremy! Why the hell would you even think—?”

“Maybe not for long! If she brings Elena’s blood to the witch that’s helping her guess what? You’ll have your stupid girlfriend back!” he scoffed again and looked away. “You know what—forget it. I don’t care.”

He stormed away from Tyler and out the door. The hybrid groaned and sat back down in the booth with his head in his hands, completely baffled by his mate’s sudden mood swings. He knew Jeremy could be emotional but this was extreme.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

“Stupid Vicki; stupid Tyler; stupid Klaus,” Jeremy muttered angrily as he marched down the street. He was being ridiculous and he knew it, but he couldn’t help his jealousy or insecurity over Tyler feeling more for Vicki than him. Even when he thought about it, it sounded stupid. But he wanted Tyler to admit that he never loved her. He wanted him to say that the only one he ever wanted was him, even though that was completely irrational.

It also bothered him that the girl he fell so hard for only had eyes for Tyler. They had never talked about Vicki, and now he knew why. Tyler must have known about Vicki’s true intentions with him and wanted to spare his feelings.

He walked quickly through the woods until he made it to the graveyard. It wasn’t the smartest thing to do but he didn’t care. He needed a moment to himself.

He sighed when he found the graves he was looking for and sat down against the tree, bringing his legs to his chest and wrapping Tyler’s sweatshirt tighter around him.

“Hey Jenna,” he whispered. “I miss you so much it’s crazy. Mom, Dad, I miss you guys too. Everything was easier when you were here.”

The wind rustled the leaves of the trees and blew around. He pulled the sweatshirt closer, catching the intoxicating earthy scent that was Tyler and he sighed.

“I’m an idiot,” he sighed heavily. “I picked a fight with Tyler because I’m scared that he’ll pick Vicki over me if she comes back. But I know that won’t happen. He went through all that trouble of getting me back from Klaus. I don’t know why I get scared that he’ll leave me when I know he never will. It’s just…sometimes I can hardly believe that someone like him wants someone like me forever. It’s a little hard to wrap my mind around that he loves me as much as he does. And I love him too.”

He sighed, wishing he had a bottle of strong liquor. His thoughts and emotions were draining him with how quickly they were coming and going.

“I feel like I’ve lost my mind,” he laughed. “Maybe I did when I was dead or when I was turning into a vampire. Now I think it might have been better to just change and get over it. It definitely would beat seeing dead people. I hope I’m not cursed with this for the rest of my life.”

Footsteps made him stop talking and turn around quickly while standing to his feet.

“Hello?” he asked steadily while he mentally cursed himself for coming out here alone. He prepared himself for a fight when he heard a familiar voice.

“Jeremy?”

“Alaric!” he ran to the other man and hugged him tightly, Alaric’s arms squeezing around his broad form. “Where have you been? Are you okay?”

“Yeah I just needed some time away. Needed to think about stuff,” he gave him a small smile. “Did you kill Klaus?”

Jeremy shook his head, “We had a plan but…it backfired. We need to find another witch to do the spell we were going to do.”

“Why not just stake him?”

Jeremy explained what Katherine had told them about the bloodlines. Alaric looked surprised when he was done.

“Wow.”

“Yeah. It’s like it never ends,” he sighed.

“Well I know a witch that can help.”

“Really?” Jeremy asked in surprise. “Who?”

“She’s back here. She’s been hiding to gather more magic but she’s powerful,” he walked off into the woods but Jeremy didn’t follow. He turned around, “Are you coming?”

“Shouldn’t we get the others?” Jeremy asked, confused. “They need to know too.”

“We don’t have time,” Alaric muttered frantically. “If we’re going to kill Klaus we need to do it now.”

Jeremy frowned and took a step back.

“Alaric,” he said slowly. “You don’t seem like…you.”

“We really need to get to the witch.”

“You mean Klaus’ mother. The one that wants all the vampires dead,” Jeremy took another step back.

“She can help you,” Alaric stalked towards him. “She can get rid of Klaus. All she needs is your cooperation.”

“We don’t want Klaus dead. We can’t kill him without killing them too.”

“There will be sacrifices,” Alaric muttered, getting a weird glint in his eye. “But all the vampires need to be destroyed.”

Jeremy’s eyes widened as Alaric’s eyes darkened to black and veins appeared under his eyes. He turned around and sprinted through the woods, hoping Alaric wouldn’t be able to catch him. An arm caught him around the waist and he screamed as he was lifted off the ground, a hand going to his mouth.

“Shh it’s okay,” he whispered in his ear, his voice sounding like Alaric’s kind fatherly tone. “I’m going to help you Jeremy.”

He started walking back towards the darkness from where he came from, dragging a struggling Jeremy with him deeper into the forest.


	25. Chapter 25

Klaus gritted his teeth in pain as he worked the last tree branch out of his left leg. He flung it to the side with a snarl as he sat up slowly. Now that he was freed, he was in need of blood and desperately. But no one had passed by these woods in over a day. Even the birds seemed too scared to fly over him.

When he sat all the way up, he looked around the now clear clearing. They had even disposed of the hybrid that they sacrificed for Jeremy’s resurrection, and while he didn’t mind that one of his own was sacrificed to save his love, he loathed that he was back in Tyler’s arms. He would kill the werewolf, his friends, and everyone in his family for his treachery. He would save Tyler for last and he would kill him very, very slowly while making Jeremy watch as a punishment for leaving him. Then he would make Jeremy forget and rearrange his memories so well that there would never be a chance of him remembering Tyler before turning him into a vampire and creating a bond so strong that _nothing_ would ever tear them apart again.

This made Klaus grin and with newfound determination he found the energy to push himself to his knees. He fell forward on his hands, his claws digging into the ground as he felt the splinters of wood that had gotten stuck within him.

“Damn you Tyler,” he snarled as he slowly got to one foot, then the other. He rose slowly, managing to stand for a couple seconds before dropping back to one knee, blood from his opened wounds dripping into the dirt. Suddenly he picked up on a woman’s voice. He managed to drag himself behind a tree just as they walked into the clearing.

“Hurry up!” she called to someone with her. “The campsite is just past this clearing!”

“Do you smell that?” the man with her asked. “Smells like burning flesh or something!”

Klaus watched as she stopped in the middle and looked around. She had dark hair that fell past her shoulders, covering the thin straps of her tank top and high-waisted shorts that left little to the imagination. She wore a hat and a backpack and looked flushed. Klaus could hear just how much as her heart pounded and her blood rushed through her veins.

“It does smell weird,” she commented. “Well hurry up. Stop walking so slow!”

“Alright, alright,” he grumbled as he made his way next to her. He was a chubby older man with bland face and body odor that hit him from where he was hiding.

When they started moving again, Klaus crept behind them stealthily. The woman jumped and turned around as if she felt something.

“You felt that, right?” she asked the man. He turned around.

“No—”

His sentence was cut off when Klaus grabbed him from behind and sank his teeth into his meaty neck. The woman screamed and ran in the direction they once came. The man struggled for a moment but the hybrid easily overpowered him. He drained the blood from his body and snapped his neck for good measure before dropping him like a doll. The woman managed to make it to the edge of the clearing before Klaus blocked her, face bloody and smile predatory.

“Where are you going sweetheart?” Klaus took steps towards her, smile getting wider when she stepped backwards in sheer terror.

“G-Get away from me!” she sobbed as she turned to run again. She didn’t get far, running right into Klaus who appeared in front of her again and she screamed. Klaus flashed his bloody teeth at her before grabbing her and sinking his teeth deep into her neck, drinking until there was nothing left.

He threw her pale body to the side and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, stretching his muscles and cracking his neck before running out of the clearing towards Mystic Falls.

* * *

“Where’s your lover?” Damon smirked as he sat across from Tyler. “I’m surprised you let him out of your sight since Klaus is set on making him his bride.”

Tyler glared at him, “We got in a fight. He wants space.”

“Ooh, lover’s quarrels _are_ the worst,” he took a sip of his Vodka. “Nothing a little make-up sex won’t cure.”

“Don’t you have someone else to harass?” Tyler snapped irritably. His annoyance at himself for not fixing his problems with Jeremy was starting to make him irritable. He absolutely hated when they fought.

“No need to get so testy,” Damon’s smirk turned into a grin. “I was just trying to give you tips so you won’t be in the dog house for too long.”

Tyler gave him another withering glare, “Go away, Damon.”

The vampire shrugged before standing. He took one more sip of his drink before passing it to him.

“You look like you could use it.”

He left before Tyler could give it back to him. The hybrid shrugged before downing the rest of his drink in one gulp. He needed to find Jeremy, space be damned. Klaus was still alive and until he wasn’t coming after them, Jeremy would just have to deal with him. He was almost out the door when he was stopped by two girls.

“Tyler! Where have you _been_?” the blonde squealed. “We haven’t seen you in forever!”

“I’ve been…busy,” Tyler said gruffly, trying to remember their names and drawing a blank.

“So where’re you going, stud?” the brunette with him gave him a sultry look and she trailed her finger down his chest. “Take us with you.”

“We’ll make it worth your while,” the blonde smirked.

Tyler sighed and resisted rolling his eyes. While once upon a time he would’ve taken them up on their offer, he was sorely tempted to tell them to fuck off now. As he looked them over, he realized that they didn’t even turn him on like they used to. The only one he really wanted was Jeremy.

“Look,” he started as he removed the brunette’s hand, “I would have been down with this about a year ago but I’m seeing someone now. We have a good thing and I’m not fucking that up so go somewhere else to have your fun.”

The girls looked affronted.

“Who is she?” the brunette questioned.

“Jeremy Gilbert,” he grinned as their jaws drop in shock.

“Elena Gilbert’s _brother_? The _drug addict_?” the blonde’s look of pure disbelief made Tyler laugh. “Didn’t he, like, drop out?”

“No he didn’t, like, drop out. He’s not an addict and he’s actually very smart. Probably has better grades than the two of you combined,” he smirked. He laughed when they continued to look dumbfounded.

“So you’re gay?” the brunette scoffed. “I’m sure the football team would love to hear that.”

“Well why don’t you let me know what they say. Excuse me,” he pushed past them and went out the door. Jeremy would probably be mortified over what he just did but he couldn’t help but feel freer. Now that people knew they were a thing, they would leave him the hell alone. But now he had to find his mate and hopefully move on to the make-up sex portion of their disagreement.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Jeremy screamed and fought as Alaric dragged him deeper into the forest. He groaned inwardly that it hadn’t even been a whole day before he found himself in more trouble. Someone up there clearly didn’t like him.

“Hush child,” Alaric muttered as he continued walking. “All your problems will be over soon.”

They came to an old, abandoned building that looked like it had seen better days. The brick was crumbling, the foundation for the building no longer looking stable. It reminded Jeremy of the old Lockwood property where Tyler would chain himself for his transformations. Jeremy’s heart leapt in his throat at the thought of his lover. He was a fool for running off the way he did and now no one knew where he was. He hoped that Tyler at least heard him scream.

Alaric dragged him down the stairs and through a corridor before throwing the door open to a little room bathed in candlelight. A woman and a man stood in the middle.

“Is this the boy?” he dragged Jeremy in front of him.

“Yes, bring him here.”

Alaric took a couple more steps before standing him straight in front of her. Jeremy could feel the power radiating off this woman and shuddered. Though she was powerful, he could feel an air of cold around her.

“Who’re you?” Jeremy asked warily. She stood silently, not bothering to answer Jeremy’s question as she looked him over, walking around him once before coming to face him again.

“My name is Esther,” she said softly. “I am Niklaus’s mother.”

Jeremy groaned, “You’re fucking kidding.”

Alaric yanked his head back slightly and he hissed.

“Show some respect,” he said lowly.

“That is not necessary Alaric. You may release him. He will not run,” she said softly, her eyes burning into him. Alaric let him go and he shot him a wary look before facing him again.

“What do you want?”

“What you want. I want Niklaus, his brothers and sister gone, along with all the vampires they have created over the centuries. Vampires were never meant to exist and they have thrown our world out of balance for thousands of years. I would like to right that balance,” she came closer to him. Jeremy could see how sickly she looked despite the poor lighting. “I can tell that Niklaus has brought you much pain, and I wish to right it.”

“You can’t right what he’s done to me,” he snapped. “Do you even know what he did to me? To my friends and to my family?”

“He destroyed the bond you had with your mate,” she said softly. “I know the mate of a werewolf when I see one. Your bond tells a very interesting story.”

“Klaus took _everything_ from me. He took me from my home, from the person I love. He killed my aunt and burned down my house! He compelled me to forget everything and then…” he trailed off with a bitter laugh. “Your son is sick, and nothing you do can change that.”

“I agree. But there is a reason he did what he did,” she sighed. “He is in love with you.”

Jeremy stared at her.

“My son is not easily threatened. As you know he is the most powerful person on this earth. The only person he ever feared was his father. He took you from everything you knew because he was threatened by the connection you have with it. For the first time in what is most likely centuries, Klaus has known fear and it has brought out his humanity. Even if it is the uglier parts of it.”

Jeremy sighed wearily, “So what? Are you going to use me against him and then kill me?”

“No child—I do not wish you any harm,” she smiled. “You are going to bring Niklaus to me.”

“The hell I will! I’ll _never_ go back to him!” Jeremy stumbled backwards, right into Alaric. The vampire grabbed him with both arms and he struggled. “Please don’t make me go back!”

“I would not dream of sending you back to him,” she laughed. “I merely need you as proof. Niklaus will come when he knows I have you and I will kill him.”

“No! You can’t!” he screamed. “If you kill him you kill everyone he’s turned! You’ll kill all my friends and Ty—my mate! And you’ll kill the mates of all the werewolves, including me!”

“Do not fret. I have a spell that will protect the werewolves and their mates. But your friends should have died long ago. It is time they rest in peace,” she said softly. “I will ensure you and your mate survive Klaus’ demise. But first I need the blood of the doppelganger.”

“What for?”

“For my hunter to reach his full potential. He is not fully turned yet and only her blood will make him more powerful than all my children,” she murmured. “I am sorry your friends must die but that is the way of life. To live and to die, not to be immortal.”

She turned to the young man by her, “See if you can locate the doppelganger.”

“Will do,” he gave her a little bow and disappeared. Jeremy felt his heart pounding as Alaric’s arms tightened around him. It felt as if he were already a fully functioning vampire. He couldn’t imagine how much stronger he would be when he had blood.

“Why are you doing this Alaric? Why are you helping her?” Jeremy pulled away from him desperately but he held tight with his vampire strength. “Damon is your best friend!”

“I’m not friends with vampires,” he sneered. “Damon Salvatore is an abomination that must be stopped.”

“And with the blood of the doppelganger, you will be able to,” Esther reassured. “And when the time is right you will both die.”

“What?” Jeremy gasped. “What are you talking about?”

“Doppelgangers are a sign of chaos and destruction, which is all your sister has brought to this town. Nature never intended to create two of the same people to live in the same lifetime. There can only be one.”

“Two people that look the same are created all the time! They’re called twins!” Jeremy cried.

“But no twins are exactly the same. There is always something distinct about them that separate one from the other but not doppelgangers. They defy every rule in nature and even the supernatural order because they are so rare. The world is at a grave imbalance now with two of them but that will end soon. I will bind Alaric’s life to the doppelgangers and when he has killed the last of my children he will die as I have instructed, as will she.”

“You’re _insane_!” Jeremy resumed his struggle tenfold. “You can’t kill my sister! She’s the only family I’ve got left!”

“And she has brought you nothing but pain,” she glared at him. “The death of your parents, the vampires, _your_ death multiple times. She is the reason Klaus came to Mystic Falls and the reason he took both of you away. She has brought destruction to everyone around her including herself. She must die in order for the world to find peace once more. At least she will serve one more great purpose before she does.”

“Elena is the one who fought for me to stay in school! She’s the one who made sure I didn’t die from a drug overdose! Elena’s been nothing but sweet and loving to me since my parent’s died! Their death isn’t her fault!” he screamed. “I won’t lose anyone else I love to your family!”

Alaric’s arms pinned his to his side before wrapping around him in a bear hug and he was immobile. Esther caressed his face and he pulled away quickly.

“You have a pure heart Jeremy Gilbert. So full of love,” she murmured. “But I’m afraid that I can’t grant your wishes.”

She looked past him at Alaric. “Take him down to the cellar. Make sure he stays where no one can reach him until we are ready.”

Alaric nodded and lifted Jeremy with ease as he carried him out the room. Jeremy kicked his legs started screaming when he could do nothing else.

“ _Tyler!_ _Tyler!_ ”

“Quiet!” Alaric hissed. He dragged him outside and further into the woods towards one of the old abandoned cellars. He threw the door open with one hand and tossed Jeremy inside before pulling it shut tightly. Jeremy picked himself up off the floor and made to reach for the door handle but he grabbed at air. Looking down he could see that most of it, save a little stub of wood, had been removed.

He cried out in frustration and slammed his hands against the wood desperately but he knew no one could hear him.

* * *

Bonnie sat with her back against the wall of the booth as she watched everyone playing pool, wondering over and over again how she might have done the spell wrong. She remembered the dream she’d had last night, where the witches, including her Grams, were scolding her for using dark magic, especially when she wasn’t anywhere near having the right amount of power to do them. It didn’t really make sense for Jeremy to be punished for something _she_ did so perhaps being in-between the world of the living and the dead was more of a side-effect for him. She sighed and rubbed her eyes, forcing a smile when she saw Elena.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she tried her hardest to look convincing but she knew it was pointless. Elena was her best friend for a reason.

“Tell me,” she sat next to her. “What’s wrong?”

“Either I didn’t do the spell right when we brought Jeremy back or it’s a side effect of being brought back to life but…he can see the ghosts of Anna and Vicki.”

Elena’s eyebrows shot up, “Really?”

“Yeah. I guess Vicki wants to send him back to Klaus so she can be with Tyler.”

“Wow,” she leaned against the wall and laughed in disbelief shaking her head. “I thought she was dating Jeremy before she died?”

“So did I, but apparently he was her rebound.”

“Ouch,” she winced. “Poor Jer. He can’t ever catch a break.”

“I feel horrible. I know I should have waited to do the spell until I was healed but he was dying and I wasn’t sure if he would feed or not—”

“Bonnie it’s not your fault. I know he doesn’t blame you,” Elena squeezed her arm. “This is just a minor glitch. It’s all going to be fine. He’s not in danger of going to their side is he?”

“I don’t think so. He shouldn’t be. Maybe he has one foot on the Other Side and one foot on this one.”

“Weird. This whole thing is just weird,” she sighed and pulled Stefan’s jacket around her tighter. “So what should we do about Vicki? Could she really lead him back to Klaus?”

“I don’t know…I wouldn’t doubt it,” she sighed. “I just don’t remember Vicki being like this. I thought she cared about him.”

“Obviously not,” Elena rolled her eyes. “But I always knew she was just using him. Jeremy didn’t want to listen to me but she always picked Tyler.”

“Maybe we can reach out to her. If we can get Jeremy to talk to her for us we can see what she really wants.”

“We should get back to the boarding house,” Elena muttered as she found Stefan’s keys in the jacket pocket. She looked at the tables and frowned when she didn’t see Jeremy or Tyler, “Where’d they go?”

“I don’t know. They were arguing when I left them,” she sighed. “I’ll go get Damon and Stefan.”

Elena watched as she left for the bar where the brothers were sitting side-by-side nursing a beer. She laughed at how similar their mannerisms were as she went to the car.

She shivered at the sudden wind that started picking up and hurried to the brand new Ford sedan bought that day for their upcoming road trip. They weren’t sure how far they would have to go and he wanted something more gas sufficient than his sports car.

She got in the driver’s seat, the smell of the brand new vehicle calming her slightly before she stuck the key in the ignition and turned but nothing happened. Elena frowned as she tried to turn it harder. There was still no reaction, almost as if the key were stuck. A sudden click noise startled her, indicating that the doors in the car locked. She tried to push the lock up but it wouldn’t budge. Panic starting to seep into her, she banged on the window, screaming for help but everyone was still inside and it was too dark for anyone to see her. Suddenly the key twisted in the ignition and the car came to life. She watched with fascination and terror as the car started to move without her contribution. The car put itself in reverse and backed out of the parking lot before driving onto the road, past the boarding house and the Lockwood Mansion and into the woods. Elena watched with wonder, curiosity and slight terror as the car maneuvered past the dense trees and managed not to hit or scratch anything as it traveled on in the dark, the lights not helping to see beyond the immediate darkness. Suddenly the car came to a sudden stop in the middle of what seemed to be the darkest part of the woods and shut off, the car enveloped in darkness. She gulped and looked around, only being able to see a few trees in the dark. The doors unlocked and she figured this was where she got out.

She stepped carefully onto the dirt, wary for any kind of trap. The wind blew past the leaves of the trees quickly and she wondered if this was a sign that she should go back to the car only the car was no longer there when she turned around. Her eyes went wide in panic and she ran back to the spot. The tire imprints were still in the dirt but the car was simply gone as if it had vanished.

“Hello?” she screamed before covering her mouth and berating herself for possibly attracting unwanted attention. She took a step back and turned around, gasping when she came face to face with Alaric.

“God—you scared me Ric!” she laughed in relief, not able to see the way his eyes had turned black in the dark. “What are you doing out here?”

“Looking for you, doppelganger,” he tilted his head to the side. Elena frowned at his statement and immediately realized something was wrong. Before she could ask anything Alaric had thrown her over his shoulder and took off into the woods with agility.

“Alaric! What the hell are you doing?” she cried as she hit him. Just as quickly as he had picked her up and ran off with her he dropped her in front of a doorway. She glanced at Alaric in confusion and fear. “How did you…you were running like a—!”

“A vampire,” a new voice appeared and startled her. She quickly got to her feet and turned to face Esther. “I turned him into one so he could be more powerful than all my children and kill them. You are going to help him reach that power.”

“But…they’re the bloodline to all vampires!” she protested. “If you kill them then—!”

“The others will die, yes,” she chuckled in amusement. “It’s quite clear you and that boy are related. He said the exact same thing not two hours ago.”

She gasped at the implication of her words.

“What did you do to my brother?” she glared at Esther. “Where is he?”

“He is safe. I do not wish him harm and none will come to him or you if you cooperate.”

Elena looked back at Alaric again, “Do I have a choice?”

Esther smiled and walked back inside the room she came out of. Alaric pushed Elena and she glared at him before following.

“I can’t believe you’re helping her! Damon is your best friend Ric—he’s a vampire! You’ve saved him more than once!”

“He’s a demon that needs to die,” he hissed vehemently. “All vampires must die.”

“Ric,” Elena whispered as she finally saw how much he had changed in the light. “Ric what has she done to you?”

“I offered him a way to end his misery. He wishes to be reunited with the woman he loves and I will allow it if he does this task. All he needs is your blood to make him stronger.”

She turned and walked back inside the shack. Alaric grabbed Elena’s hand none too gently and pulled her inside too. They followed Esther to a round stone basin that looked as if it were used as a large drinking chalice. Inside was the last white oak stake that Stefan and Damon had pulled from the sign made from the white oak before it was burned down.

“With the power of your ring, the white oak stake will be invincible and with the blood of the doppelganger you will be more powerful than all my children combined,” she reached her hand out and dropped Alaric’s ring into the basin before she started chanting. The wind immediately picked up in the room like it did when Bonnie chanted her spells, making Elena wonder if this was a natural occurrence with witchcraft. She chanted for a few moments before she opened her eyes and grabbed the stake. The ring had melted and molded around the stake in such a way that it looked as if it were encased artfully in steel like a collector’s item.

“It is yours,” she handed it to Alaric. Suddenly she grabbed Elena’s arm and the doppelganger immediately protested.

“No! I won’t let you do this to Alaric—he doesn’t deserve this!”

“He deserves to be in peace,” she muttered something under her breath and Elena hissed when something invisible cut her hand, opening it wide. Esther pulled her around the basin and thrust her at Alaric. “Drink.”

Alaric smiled wickedly and grabbed Elena’s hand tightly, sinking his teeth into her flesh as Esther began chanting again. Elena gasped in pain and tried to pull her hand away but it was futile. She worried Esther would let Alaric drain her of all her blood before the chanting stopped and she was suddenly across the room.

“The bonding spell is complete. Your lives are now one and you are now invincible. Now go,” she nodded to Alaric. When he was gone Esther turned back to Elena who was watching her warily.

“Thank you, doppelganger.”

“Where’s Jeremy?” she bit back.

“You cannot see him yet.” She stood in front of Elena and waved a hand over her face, watching as she crumpled to the ground, unconscious. She waved her hand again and all the candles were snuffed out. Looking to make sure nothing was out of place she left the abandoned cellar and shut the door.

* * *

“Jeremy?” Tyler called, frowning when he didn’t hear or see anyone. He quickly dialed his number again, counting the number of rings before it went to voicemail. He quickly made his way through the house, checking in every room before walking back down, listening intently for a moment, trying to hear any indication of Jeremy in the house but all he could hear was his mother in the living room.

“Shit. Where the hell are you?” he swore softly. He had a horrible feeling that something had happened to his mate but Klaus was still in the woods. There was no way he was able to recover so quickly.

He sighed and dialed his number again, swearing when it rang and rang and went to voicemail again. He quickly dialed another number.

“Hey, have you seen Jeremy?”

“I haven’t left Matt’s since last night. I haven’t seen anyone but him,” Caroline giggled, making Tyler wrinkle his nose. “We’re on our way to The Grill right now.”

“No, don’t. I need your help finding him. I’ll explain later,” he cut off her question. “Just have your clothes on.”

She laughed as she squeezed the phone between her shoulder and her ear, pulling on her boot. “Have we missed anything? Did they say what we’re going to do about Klaus? Matt and I were thinking, if we have to hide somewhere, New York wouldn’t be such a bad place. It’s pretty big. Klaus would never find us.”

“You would pick that of all places,” Tyler laughed as he walked to his front door. “That place suits you perfectly.”

“It’s smart! New York is overpopulated and there are so many people I can feed and not raise any suspicion.”

“What about the animal diet?”

“Stefan is feeding off Elena. If he gets to forgo the animal diet then so do I,” she unconsciously licked her lips when Matt entered the room only wearing a towel. “She thinks she can hide it but I see the holes in her neck.”

“So you’ve seen them too,” Tyler laughed as he turned the handle. “I thought it was just—”

He stopped short when he saw who was on the other side of the door. His mouth hung open in disbelief and his eyes widened significantly, heart sinking as he stared at the smirking Klaus on the other side of the threshold.


	26. Chapter 26

Tyler’s eyes widened in horror as he stared at Klaus, and became fully aware that only his refusal of entry was the only thing protecting him from his creator. Klaus’ expression was calm but his eyes promised much pain and a slow death.

“Hello—Ty? You still there?”

“I…I’ll call you…back,” his eyes never left Klaus’ as he pushed end and his arm fell to his side heavily.

“How the hell did you recover so fast?” he breathed.

“I got lucky when a pair of hikers wondered by. They were tasty but I still find myself…hungry,” he snarled when he tried to move forward and was blocked. “Invite me in.”

“No,” Tyler narrowed his eyes as he shook his head slowly, hand gripping the door tightly.

“Invite me in or your house will end up like the Gilbert’s,” he snarled threateningly. “I would hate to destroy such lovely architecture.”

“Tyler?” a voice called from behind him. He turned quickly to see his mom coming behind him, stopping cold when she saw Klaus.

“I thought you said he was in the forest?” she cried.

“And now I’m here,” he glared at her. “If you want to keep your house and your head you’ll invite me inside now! Or better, send Jeremy down and we’ll be on our way.”

Tyler swallowed as he frantically tried to come up with an explanation and a way to get away from Klaus without losing his life. Klaus frowned and snarled when he tried to move and he suddenly couldn’t. Tyler stared as the hybrid was thrown across off the porch and onto the front lawn before the door was slammed. Tyler hopped back a couple feet before reaching for the door handle, hissing when it burned him and pulling away.

“Vervain?” he whispered in confusion.

“Tyler?” she asked with wide eyes as she turned to him. “What’s going on?”

“I need to find Jeremy,” he muttered, stuffing his phone in his pocket. “I have to find him before he does.”

He started making his way towards the back door, his mother hot on his heels, “Wait, you can’t go out there! He’ll kill you!”

“I have to find Jeremy! I can’t lose him again!” he turned back to her and hugged her hard. “Pack a bag and get to Aunt Hailey’s. He’ll be too distracted with me to worry about you.”

She whimpered into his hair but nodded. “Please be careful. I don’t want to lose you too.”

“You won’t, I promise,” he kissed her hard on the cheek before ushering her out to the garage. He opened the door cautiously, heart pounding as his mother gripped his arm tightly and he quickly brought her to the car, making sure she locked all the doors before he opened the garage door. He expected to see Klaus waiting for them but was relieved as well as confused when he didn’t see him.

“If you see him on the road don’t stop, just take a detour and keep going,” he instructed. She nodded fretfully before she started backing out. The moment she was out of sight Tyler sighed with relief. Until he felt someone ram into his side and he went crashing into the side of the house. He quickly recovered and crouched low, prepared for a fight as he bared his fangs and his eyes turned yellow. He heard noise above him and quickly moved in time as Klaus came down, his own fangs bared and snarling as he approached Tyler menacingly.

Suddenly Klaus howled in pain and his hands flew to his eyes as he tried to rub them. Tyler stood and frowned in confusion as the wounded hybrid fell onto his side still writhing in pain with his eyes squeezed shut. It looked as if the area around his eyes were burned with vervain but there was none around for miles.

A gust of wind blew past him suddenly and he turned in the direction from which it came but saw nothing there. His cell phone ringing made him jump and he only just remembered that Klaus was still writhing in pain on his front lawn. He pulled it out and saw Caroline’s name across his screen.

“Tyler what’s going on? We can’t find anyone at The Grill—”

“Klaus is here. He just showed up at my front door,” Tyler interrupted as he ran back into his house through the garage and shut it quickly before locking the door.

“What? How?” she cried.

“I don’t know but I need to find Jeremy,” he ran through the house, turning off all the lights before slipping through the back door and running into the woods. “Get everyone you can find.”

He hung up and found Damon’s number quickly, running without any direction.

“What?” Damon snapped. Tyler ignored his tone.

“He’s here. Klaus is in Mystic Falls.”

“What do you mean he’s _here_?” Damon retorted. “He had an entire tree stuck in him when we left!”

“Well he clearly needed more than that because he just showed up at my front door looking for Jeremy!” Tyler ran a hand over his hair. “You guys haven’t seen him?”

“No. And Elena’s gone too,” Damon sighed. “Something weird is going on. I bet it has to do with the ghosts your boyfriend can see.”

 _Shit_. He had completely forgotten about that.

“Is Bonnie with you? Maybe she can track him or something.”

“She has no magic Tyler. Get to The Grill and we’ll figure it out.”

“I can’t. I have to find Jeremy. Klaus is going to take him again.”

“No, he won’t. He needs Elena too. He won’t take him until he has her so get your ass over here!”

“Not until I find Jeremy.”

He hung up in the middle of Damon’s reply and continued deeper into the forest.

* * *

Jeremy was thankful he was neither scared of the dark nor claustrophobic because this could have been going a lot worse. After an hour of screaming for help he gave up, convinced that someone would have heard his hoarse voice by now. His hands still stung from beating against the wooden door so much, now he settled for grabbing onto the bars that made up the window and staring at the bright moon over the trees. He remembered when he and Tyler would have to come down here on nights like these for his transformation. It was near torture for them both when he would have to chain him to the wall and force wolfsbane down Tyler’s throat, knowing that all that they were doing was prolonging the inevitable pain that came with his transformations. When he had been turned into a hybrid and he no longer had to change, a part of Jeremy was relieved that at least something good came out of being an immortal werewolf for his mate.

_God Ty where are you?_

He believed that Esther didn’t want to hurt his mate but he didn’t trust her not to. She could easily change her mind and not do the spell and then they would all die. He didn’t know how much Esther valued a human life, but if she was anything like the rest of her family he didn’t think she did. Why the hell couldn’t they just be left alone?

He shivered when a sudden gust of wind came past him and the old, dusty candle holders in the corners of the room were suddenly alight with fire. Jeremy looked around in alarm for anyone other than himself but found no one.

“Hello?”

“Jer?”

“Wha—who was that?” he whipped around but saw no one. “Who’s that?”

The voice didn’t respond again. He frowned, wondering if he was hearing things before he remembered who he could now see.

“Anna, are you in here?”

“Yes!” he turned around again and sure enough, she was standing in front of his with a smile. Without thinking he ran to throw his arms around her but stumbled when they went through her. He turned to look at her and she gave him a sad smile.

“I’m on the Other Side. There’s a barrier between us,” she murmured. He blinked in confusion before he reached out a hand to touch her. All he could feel was air.

“So I can see you and hear you but I can’t touch you?”

“Yeah. Sucks doesn’t it?” she smiled again. “But I can get you out.”

“How? The door doesn’t have a handle.”

“I’m a vampire Jer,” she giggled. “It’ll open for me.”

“But if I can’t touch you how can you touch the door?”

“We can’t touch people but we can touch things.”

“How is that even—?”

“Objects aren’t alive, like us,” Anna explained. “Just watch.”

She walked to the door and placed her hands on it, shoving it hard. Sure enough the door flew open and biting cold air immediately flooded the cell. Jeremy gaped at her in shock, slowly walking to the entrance and was met with the sight of the dark, dense woods.

“Wow,” was all he could manage. Anna laughed at his expression.

“Yeah.”

“Is there…any way you could…you know…” he trailed off but she understood what he was trying to say. “It’s just…I miss you.”

“I miss you too Jer,” she said softly, grabbing his hand. “But I don’t belong on that side anymore. It was my time to go.”

“No it wasn’t! My uncle had no right to decide that!” Jeremy snapped. “You didn’t deserve that Anna.”

“It’s okay Jer,” she whispered, reaching on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. Jeremy couldn’t feel her lips but he knew what she meant. “You need to get out of here. She’ll be coming back soon.”

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know. The last time I saw her she was with your sister.”

Jeremy’s eyes widened in alarm, “Where?”

“In one of the other cellars—wait!” she cried when Jeremy started running in the direction she pointed. “Don’t go back there! That vampire is still out there!”

“I have to get my sister!”

“Jeremy you can’t defeat him! He’s too strong! It’s going to take more than a stake to kill him! He’s more powerful than all the Original vampires because magic created him. Only magic is going to be able to kill him!”

Jeremy looked in the direction of the woods where the cellar was and back at Anna.

“I _have_ to save Elena. I can’t lose her too.”

He just caught sight of Anna’s anguished face before taking off for the woods again. He knew that she would understand why he went no matter how much she wanted to save him.

* * *

“Does someone want to explain _what_ is going on?” Caroline huffed impatiently as she and Matt walked into the boarding house. Bonnie and Damon were sitting by the fire, both their heads bent over a book and Stefan was pacing with a drink in his hand and his brow creased with worry.

“Tyler said Klaus was back—”

“Jeremy and Elena are missing,” Stefan sighed. “Bonnie tried to locate them but she doesn’t have enough strength.”

“There have to be alternative ways to locate them. Herbal spells that don’t require as much magic or none at all,” Bonnie muttered as she flipped the page.

“So what are we going to do about _Klaus_?” the blonde said slowly. “If he’s here he’s going to kill all of us. Or did you guys forget that part?”

“No one’s forgotten,” Damon quipped, eyes never leaving the book. “He’s not a priority right now.”

“Don’t you think he should be our _first_ priority?” she exclaimed. “Shouldn’t we be, I don’t know, getting as far away from here as possible? What happened to—?”

“If you want to leave go ahead. No one’s stopping you,” Damon snapped. “But we’re not leaving until we find Elena and Jeremy.”

“And Tyler—he’s still out there,” Stefan said quietly. “Unless Klaus got to him.”

“He didn’t. He completely ignored me and went to find Jeremy himself. He’s going to get himself killed one day. Jeremy too,” Damon grumbled. Bonnie smacked his arm.

“Don’t say that! He just doesn’t want to lose Jeremy again.”

“If he listened to me he _wouldn’t_ lose him! Klaus came here looking for Jeremy who was taken back by Tyler so out of all of us he’s the one that’s going to die first!

“Then we need to find him!” Caroline cried. “We don’t have time to find alternative ways for Bonnie to drain more of her magic!”

Damon rolled his eyes; Caroline’s screeching was giving him a migraine. He opened his mouth to retort something but his reply was abruptly cut off by the front door being thrown open, hitting the wall with a loud bang. Suddenly Matt was flying in the air and he hit the wall hard, crumpling to the ground unconscious and Caroline screamed in agony when an arm wrapped around her neck and the wooden handle broken off an axe was stabbed through her back and out her stomach. Blood poured from her mouth down her chin and shirt, her eyes darting between Bonnie, Stefan and Damon who looked tense. Her hands flew to the handle to pull it out but it was only shoved in further and she screamed again.

“Hush darling. You’ll disturb the whole neighborhood,” Klaus whispered maliciously in her ear. Stefan’s eyes narrowed and he moved towards her.

“Let her go.”

“Take another step,” he twisted the handle, making the blonde scream louder, “and this will end rather tragically.”

Damon had pulled Bonnie to her feet and was standing in front of her protectively, his heart pounding in his ears but he didn’t let his fear show. Instead he growled lowly and crouched behind his brother, ready to strike.

“Listen carefully,” he buried his hand in Caroline’s hair and yanked her head back, making her yelp, “You’re going to tell me where you’re hiding the doppelganger and my mate and I won’t kill everyone in this pathetic town. If you give me Tyler I’ll spare your witch and your pathetic human you keep around,” he nodded towards Matt’s crumpled form. “If you don’t tell me where any of them are you best prepare for a bloody massacre because I’m done with these games.”

He drove the handle even further through Caroline’s back and she sobbed in pain. The brothers snarled but didn’t dare move.

“We don’t know where they are!” Bonnie shrieked in fear. “We’re trying to find them too!”

“Don’t lie to me witch,” he snarled as he tried to glare at her through Damon, “there’s no point in protecting them. Your life is already forfeit.”

“She’s telling the truth,” Stefan inched towards Klaus slowly. “We’re looking for them like you. So let’s find them together.”

“You must think I’m a fool,” Klaus laughed harshly. “I can find them just as easily on my own.”

“If that were true you wouldn’t have come here,” Stefan’s voice was nearly pleading. “Klaus, we want to find them just as much as you do—”

“I’m sure,” he smirked. “If you don’t tell me where they are this town will be gone by morning and your little family will be down to you and Damon again, I promise you that. If you don’t want everyone in this bloody town to die you’ll tell me where they are _now_!”

“They’re in the forest,” Damon spat quickly. “By the old Lockwood property where Tyler would do his transformations.”

Klaus looked at him suspiciously. “You lie.”

“Why would I? You just threatened to annihilate the entire town. Three people aren’t worth all that.”

“You mean you would rather save yourself and your beloved witch,” Klaus smirked. “I knew that would motivate you Damon. So predictable.”

“He told you where they were. Let Caroline go,” Stefan pleaded, his eyes locked with Caroline’s scared baby blues. Klaus laughed and pulled Caroline closer to him, bringing the handle deeper into her body and she whimpered in pain.

“If Damon is right and that’s where they are, she’ll live. If he’s wrong…” he trailed off with a wicked smirk. “Lead the way, Salvatore.”

Stefan and Damon shared a wary look before he walked slowly to the entrance of the boarding house; Bonnie tugged at his arm frantically, her eyes brimming with scared tears.

“Don’t!” she pleaded. He kissed her forehead.

“It’s okay,” he reassured with a tight smile. “I know what I’m doing.”

“Damon,” she whispered. He shook his head and kissed her forehead.

“I know,” he murmured. They stared at each other for a moment, saying silently what they couldn’t out loud. She let go, pressing her lips together to hold in her emotions as she watched the man she loved walk out the door followed by Klaus dragging an unwilling Caroline with him. When they were gone Stefan moved to check on Matt, picking him up off the floor and throwing him over his shoulder.

“We need to get to your house. Damon bought us some time but not much. Klaus can’t get to either of you there,” he muttered. She nodded and allowed Stefan to lift her in his other arm before taking off for her house.

* * *

Jeremy sighed in frustration as he looked around the dark forest once more, feeling as if he’d been going in circles for hours. It was hard to tell how many times he’d pass by the same cellars with only the light of the half-moon to guide him

“Shit,” he swore softly as he leaned against a tree to catch his breath. The wind started picking up again, causing the leaves to brush against each other frantically and it sent shivers up Jeremy’s spine. He pushed off the tree and took off again, this time going left instead of right as his desperation to find Elena increased with every step.

“Elena!” he called before cringing. The leaves sped up their movements against each other in response and he forced himself to keep running. After another twenty minutes he came to a half of a stone building that looked slightly different than all the other ones he’d seen. It was dark but he was still able to recognize the stone basin standing in the middle of the pathway.

“Elena! Are you here?” he cried as he ran inside. His heart sank when he didn’t see anyone. Sighing heavily he turned around and ran back outside but his path was suddenly blocked by Alaric. He cried out in fear and tried to go around him but Alaric merely grabbed his arm and swung him into the wall of stone. His head throbbed from where it had hit the stone and he dropped to his knees, Alaric still gripping his arm tightly.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he smiled wickedly. Jeremy groaned and looked to his side as Esther appeared, looking grim and scary in the minimal light.

“Where’s your…other vampire?” Jeremy rasped in pain. Esther’s frown deepened.

“He understood that sacrifices had to be made. He rests in peace now.”

“You’re…heartless,” Jeremy glared at her. She returned it before turning her back to him.

“It’s time to bring Niklaus out.”

She walked towards the deeper part of the forest. Alaric forced Jeremy to his feet and dragged him along as well. He felt disoriented from hitting his head so hard and he stumbled multiple times through the dark woods, wondering what was going to happen if Klaus showed up. He wondered if Tyler or anyone else knew that he and his sister were missing but maybe Elena managed to escape and now they were all out here looking for him.

Esther stopped in the middle of a clearing that was clearly illuminated by the moonlight. The trees looked like they formed a perfect circle and there were three, medium sized rocks that seemed to be randomly placed but on closer inspection, they looked like they formed a loose circle. She looked ethereal in a solid green dress that flowed at her feet, her strawberry blonde hair resting elegantly on her shoulders and a permanent frown on her ghostly face.

“Niklaus!” she suddenly screamed, making Jeremy jump. “Come out Niklaus! We have what you want!”

The only noise that filled the clearing was the wind that was picking up faster than before and the leaves brushing against each other in their frantic dance. Esther was quiet for a few more moments, listening intently for any sign of movement before her head snapped to the left. She seemed frozen to the spot and Jeremy wondered what she was looking at. He tried to look at it too before fear gripped his heart.

There was more rustling and Jeremy realized the noise as fast-paced footsteps. Someone emerged from the forest at near-lightning speed. Esther held out her hand and suddenly the figure went flying backwards into a tree. There was snarling and cursing as they tried to break away. Jeremy’s heart leapt as he realized who it was.

“Tyler!”

“Where is Nikalus?” she asked coldly as she approached him, her hand staying in the same position and forcing more invisible pressure on his chest, crushing him. “You are his hybrid—you know where he is.”

“He’s at…my house!” Tyler forced out past the pressure on his chest. “He was…trying to kill me!”

“Why?” her voice boomed around the silent forest. “You are one of his.”

“No…I’m…not,” Tyler gripped the tree as the pressure started on his undead heart. He gritted his teeth and tried to move off the tree but the invisible pressure held him in place.

“Stop it!” Jeremy cried, running towards him and was yanked back harshly as Alaric pulled him backwards. “He’s not with Klaus! He’s with me!”

Esther watched Tyler struggled to breathe for a few more moments before she lifted the curse and allowed Tyler to drop to the ground. He gasped harshly, getting to his hands and knees. Esther had moved back to the center of the clearing, looking towards the moonlight before she turned to Alaric.

“I believe it’s time for a demonstration,” she gave him a wry smile. He smirked back and he dragged Jeremy two feet before throwing him in front of Esther. In the next second he was holding Tyler against the tree once more, not enough to cause him pain unless he struggled against him.

“What the hell Alaric?” Tyler snarled as he pushed against the hardened vampire. Alaric merely smirked.

“This is your last chance Niklaus!” Esther called again. “Come out!”

Jeremy had gotten to his feet and he started running for Tyler again. Esther held out her hand and he stopped immediately. She clenched her hand and he went flying backwards, landing on his back at her feet once more. She held her hand over his neck and raised it in the air slowly; his body followed it’s every move until he was hovering a good five feet above the ground. Jeremy clawed at his neck as he panicked in mid-air.

“Very well Niklaus,” she murmured before she slowly started to close her hand. Jeremy let out a gasp as the pressure around his throat started to tighten and he grabbed at his neck with both hands to try and stop the force from strangling him.

“Jeremy!” Tyler screamed as he thrashed against the hunter. “Leave him alone!”

Esther ignored him and continued to close her hand. Jeremy had started wheezing for breath, the pressure around his throat nearly closing off his air supply. He tried to stare into her eyes but she was looking beyond him. She wasn’t seeing him as a person, as a werewolf’s mate. She wasn’t thinking about the fact that whatever pain he could feel, Tyler could most likely feel too. Her fingers started to curl in towards her palm and the last of his circulation was cut off, depriving him of air and leaving him choking midair. His hands rubbed up and down his neck frantically to relieve the pressure. He could hear Tyler screaming his name as he started to get light-headed.

His hands started slowing against his neck as her hand slowly formed into a fist until finally he went limp. Esther dropped her hand and Jeremy fell to the ground with a thump. Tyler sighed in relief when he heard his mate starting to breathe again.

“He dies next time,” Esther said coldly. “Bring Niklaus out here _now_.”

“I don’t know where he is!” Tyler cried. “Don’t hurt him! Jeremy’s got _nothing_ to do with this!”

“This boy has _everything_ to do with my son!” she snarled furiously. “If you do not bring him to me I will kill him slowly and you and Niklaus can watch it all.”

“Go to hell you sadistic bitch!” Tyler snarled back. Esther’s eyes narrowed before she muttered a spell under her breath. Suddenly Jeremy was curled into a ball and clutching his head while he screamed in pure agony. Tyler pushed against Alaric once more, this time doubling his efforts.

“Stop it! God _please_ stop it!” Tyler begged as Alaric held him steady to the tree.

“Where is Niklaus?” she screamed, the fury in her voice showing on her face. Jeremy’s screams seemed to increase as her anger did.

“I don’t _know_!” Tyler screamed back desperately. “Just stop it _please_! _Jeremy_!”

Jeremy’s screams became near-deafening and it made tears of desperation and fear spring into his eyes as he fought against Alaric with everything in him. Esther murmured something under her breath and Jeremy’s screams stopped, the sound echoing around the clearing and the forest. He went limp and Tyler could smell the blood that had started dripping from his nose and his right ear that was now rolling down his cheek and his neck. If he hadn’t heard the slightly slowed beating of his mate’s heart he would have believed him dead.

Esther crouched down and took Jeremy’s face in one hand, sprawling the rest of his body out on the grass as she shook him slightly.

“Is he not worth dying for?” Esther bellowed in a terrible voice. “Is your precious mate not worth you coming to face your mother Niklaus? You are a disgrace to _every_ creature, both vampire and werewolf that you would let him die for you!”

“Please,” Tyler begged. “Just let him go! I’ll find Klaus, I’ll fucking kill him for you, I’ll do _anything_!”

“You can do nothing for me,” she hissed.

Suddenly she had moved away from Jeremy and to the other side of the clearing, hissing in pain from the scratch on her shoulder that had torn her dress open. She glared and a whole new fury took her as she watched her son crouching next to Jeremy’s unconscious body, checking to see if he was still alive before standing and turning towards her. She could feel the anger rolling off of him in waves and she smirked as he came closer until she could finally see his furious yellow eyes and his lips pulled back, baring his teeth with a loud, threatening snarl as he crouched down low.

“Welcome home Niklaus,” she taunted coldly. “We have waited so long for your arrival.”

Klaus growled low in his throat, the moonlight making him look more threatening as he leapt for his mother, his every instinct telling him not to stop until he had her heart in his hand and her dead body was lying at his feet.


	27. Chapter 27

Tyler watched the scene before him in trepidation. Klaus and his mother stood at a face off before he leapt for her while Jeremy lay unconscious and just barely breathing on the ground. He shoved at Alaric again but the other vampire held steady.

“Alaric, it’s me,” he hissed and he swiped at him with his elongated claws. “We need to save Jeremy! Don’t you want him to live?”

“Anyone who associates with vampires deserves to die,” he hissed as his hand went to Tyler’s throat. “You deserve it the most.”

Without warning, the hunter shoved a tree branch into his stomach, pushing so far that it stuck into the tree he was being held against. Tyler choked out a pained cry, his hands flying to the branch as he sagged against the tree.

“Don’t go anywhere. Wouldn’t want you to miss the show,” Alaric whispered wickedly. Suddenly he was gone, leaving Tyler with a gaping, splintered wound and a branch through his stomach. A loud crash alerted him and his head shot up just in time to see a couple tall trees in the forest fall. It sounded like the fight between Esther and her son was far from over and the last thing he wanted was for him and Jeremy to be a part of it.

“Jeremy!” Tyler screamed as he tried to pull the branch out of him. “Wake up!”

He heard Jeremy give a little moan but he didn’t otherwise move. Tyler wondered if he had brain damaged from the impromptu aneurism Esther gave him earlier.

“C’mon!” he growled as he pulled at the offending piece of wood in his abdomen. He grunted in pain for a few seconds before slumping against the tree. He just realized that his feet were barely touching the ground.

Another tree crashing somewhere beyond the clearing alerted him that he and Jeremy were still in danger. Gathering in determination, he used both hands to slowly work the branch out of him. Blood oozed from his wound and he could feel pieces of bark being left behind, but he wouldn’t let the pain stop him. He had to save Jeremy.

When Vicki died last year, she was positive that she would never be able to talk to anyone in the world of the living ever again. It was a fate worse than hell to be able to see and hear everyone she loved and they couldn’t see her in return. It especially sucked when she was forced to silently watch Jeremy and Anna fall in love, Tyler and Matt fight over that blonde bimbo she couldn’t stand before Tyler let it go and then befriended Jeremy instead. She watched them bond over everything and anything that wasn’t her. She was there when Jeremy told himself over and over that Tyler was straight and they were impossible but still tentatively kissed him the night of the Founder’s Day ball.

Vicki felt triumphant when Tyler ran away and left Jeremy feeling lower than her makeshift grave. That triumph quickly turned to rage when Tyler convinced Jeremy to ditch school the next day after lunch so they could spend the rest of the afternoon at a secluded part of the lake making out. She surmised that the only reason they would hold onto each other was because of their connection to her, but she quickly found that wasn’t the case. As much as she hated to admit it, they were in love.

Watching _her_ love story play out through Jeremy Gilbert would have made her hurl if she could. It should’ve been _her_ that Tyler was taking on dates outside the city. It was _her_ that should’ve helped Tyler through all his transformations and comforted him over the fact that he turned into a werewolf once a month. It should’ve been _her_ that Tyler claimed as his mate. Jeremy was nothing more than her replacement and she was sick of watching him so damn happy with the love of _her_ life.

She wasn’t entirely sure how the Original Witch, as she claimed to be, found her, but she wasn’t about to let the opportunity to get back to the other side slip through her dead fingers. Delivering Elena to her was the least she could do for a ticket out of this hell hole. And if she could get away from whiny vampire Anna, that would make the deal even sweeter. Listening to her cry for her mother and freaking Jeremy Gilbert made her wish she was dead for real.

A tree crashed just before her and she jumped back, despite it not doing damage to her. She saw the so-called Original Witch and who she supposed was the son she was looking for bounding through the woods and neck-breaking speeds as they fought. Vicki rolled her eyes at their family drama. As long as she kept up her end of the deal, she could care less what they fought about.

“Hey!” she screamed at the woman now in mid-air. Esther held out her hand and muttered a quick spell under her breath. Her assumed-son let out a pained cry before dropping to the ground on his knees, holding his head in his hands and letting out a scream so pained it gave Vicki shivers. Esther lowered to the ground and stalked closer to him. The closer she got, the more his screams increased in volume.

“ _Hey_!” she screamed again. Esther looked up from her son, an expression of cold indifference on her pale face.

“I did what you wanted,” Vicki stomped towards her, looking every bit the human teenager she used to be. “We had a deal, remember?”

“How could I forget?” Esther smirked. She lowered her hand and the man’s screams stopped. Vicki stooped feet from him and folded her arms.

“So how does this work? How are you bringing me back to the living side?”

Esther threw her head back with a cruel laugh.

“You are on this side because you died not as a human, but as a vampire,” she fixed her dark eyes on Vicki. “I am seeking to destroy your kind. If I brought you back, you would only be killed by the very vampire hunter I made immortal to destroy you. I will not give him one more of you to kill. He wants to be at peace.”

“What?” Vicki’s mouth dropped. “But you said—!”

“I know what I said girl,” she snapped. “And you were a fool to believe me. You are where you belong: away from human kind. I’ve done more than enough by giving you the power to touch things on the side of the living.”

Vicki’s mouth dropped further, a sinking feeling entering her stomach. She should’ve seen this coming, she should’ve _known_ that the offer was too good to be true and yet, she wanted so desperately to be reunited with her brother and Tyler that she foolishly played into it. Esther was never going to uphold her end of the bargain.

“You tricked me!” she screamed.

“It was for a necessary cause,” she stated with a hard voice. “Your kind are not natural. You shouldn’t have even existed.”

“Then make me human! I never wanted this! You said you would change all the werewolves back to humans so you can do the same for me!”

“The magic that requires is far beyond that of what I can accomplish now,” Esther smiled grimly. She looked at Klaus, still crippled on the ground and groaning, before turning back to Vicki. “My only mission to accomplish now is to destroy this monster. The vampire hunter shall do the rest.”

“What about the werewolves? What about all the people who were turned that _didn’t_ want to be turned? You can’t kill innocent people!” Vicki cried. “What about—?”

A loud, menacing growl interrupted her rant. Klaus had regained himself and stood. Vicki was close enough to see the blood that had dripped from his ear to his neck and his eyes flashing yellow.

“Is that the best you’ve got?” he rasped with a smirk. “It’s going to take more than that, _mother_.”

Esther’s eyes narrowed and a deep frown graced her features.

“You’re not as strong as you once were. Your magic is weak,” Klaus rasped with a heavy laugh. “You’re dying, and you won’t defeat me.”

“I have enough to send you to the depths of hell,” she snarled before she started chanting another spell. Klaus lunged for her before she could complete it and the two were off once more, tearing through the forest. Vicki ducked when another couple of trees fell and a burst of orange shot from somewhere in the dark depths. It caught onto a tree and the wood was quickly engulfed in flames.

“That lying bitch,” Vicki snarled under her breath. How _dare_ she trick her? She may have been naïve but she was also vengeful towards those who did her wrong. And Vicki wasn’t about to let some ancient, old witch manipulate her.

“I told you she wasn’t going to give you what you wanted.”

“Oh fuck off,” she snapped at Anna who just appeared beside her. “Don’t you have to go find your mommy?”

“Just let it go Vicki. You’re not going back to the living side,” Anna said softly. “No one crosses back over unless they have a very powerful witch and even then it’s risky. A lot of sacrifices have to be made.”

“I could give a shit about sacrifices!” Vicki yelled. “She _promised_ that she would push me back to the living side and she’s going to keep that promise one way or another. If Jeremy could come back from this side then so can I.”

“Jeremy’s circumstances were different—”

“Aren’t they always,” she snorted bitterly as she stomped away. She knew exactly how she was going to make Esther pay, and it was going to start with her precious doppelganger.

* * *

Elena awoke disoriented and bleary-eyed. Something crawled over her leg and she felt her heart rate pick up when she saw a pair of big eyes staring back at her. She screamed loudly as she backed up using her hands and feet. The raccoon stared at her a moment longer before going through a sizeable hole in the wall and she sighed in relief.

She had no idea how she ended up here, her only memory being Esther instructing Alaric to put her somewhere where no one would find her. Now that her life was bound to his, she was more of a liability to Esther’s plans than anything. If she were to die before Alaric completed his work, he would die as well and vampires would continue to roam freely.

It was times like these where Elena thought that offing herself was the only way to ensure everyone’s survival. Alaric wouldn’t stop until every Original was dead and then he would die and take her with him. If she could kill herself first, she could save Stefan and Caroline and everyone she cared about. No one deserved to die because of what they were. None of them should have to suffer for having a fate imposed on them that they didn’t ask for.

She stood slowly, unnerved by the sheer darkness surrounding her. It looked like another private cell on the Lockwood property where they kept their slaves back in Civil War times, though his looked much smaller and much more cramped. Elena wondered how many people were kept in here at a time and shuddered at the thought. She didn’t dare venture closer, scared of what else she would possibly find on those walls.

The only source of light was the whole the raccoon had squeezed through earlier but the forest was so dark that there was hardly any light to be shed. She could only see the small corner in which she had woken up. The rest of the room was obscure in darkness. It gave Elena the chills and she didn’t want to be there another moment. Determined to get out of this room, she walked to the wall…only to discover there was no door.

“What?” Elena breathed as she ran to the wall where she presumed the door would be. She searched all along the walls of the small room, cringing when she would accidentally hit the rats. Finally, she came to a protruding piece of wood in the brick. When she felt for the door handle, she could feel the stump of what was left of it.

Panic began to fill her. How the hell was she supposed to get out of here? Worse, what if Alaric and Klaus’ crazy mother forgot about her and she was in here for days? Months? She banged on the door with both of her hands balled into fists, screaming desperately for anyone to hear her. If they were deep enough in the forest, no one would be able to find her. She was going to be alone, in the dark, forever.

 _No_ , she thought vehemently as she crawled to the small opening. It was good enough for a small animal but it didn’t look like she would fit through. Elena tried to shove her head through anyways, gritting her teeth at the crumbling brick pressing into her head. She managed to stick her head through, but was stopped by her shoulders. She struggled for a couple moments before pulling her head back in. Not to be deterred, she stuck one leg out before carefully sliding the other one through. She managed to get past the tight spots until both legs up to her thighs were sticking out. The doppelganger prayed that Alaric wasn’t standing guard outside.

“Almost…there,” she huffed as she slowly pushed her body through the narrow opening. It was a tight fit, and Elena thought that she wouldn’t be able to pull it off even though she was as skinny as a stick. She encountered a problem when she reached her ribs and she did her best to pull them in as close as she could to her, going so far as to hold her breath to keep her lungs from pushing them out more. She pushed her body past her breasts and squeezed her shoulders together, using her compressed arms to push off the outside of the wall to maneuver one shoulder out of the hole and then the other before easily slipping her head through.

Elena panted with exertion, lying on her back in the dirt for a moment before standing and brushing herself off. She patted her pockets for her phone and cursed when she couldn’t find it. It would’ve been nice to have a flashlight.

A gust of wind startled her, followed by a low sound that sounded like a pained moan. Fear gripped her and she ran, not knowing which direction she was going. Suddenly the trees in front of her burst into flames, halting her in her tracks. She quickly made to turn around to try another direction but flames quickly blocked her path. She was surrounded.

Elena was bewildered as to how this was happening seemingly out of nowhere. No matter what move she made, flames followed her instantly and they started to close in, more rapidly than any other fire.

“Stefan!” she cried as she started to sweat from the heat. She continued to scream even though she was sure the roaring of the flames were drowning out her voice.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Caroline screamed in agonizing pain as Damon tried to pull the wooden handle out of her back. Damon winced, feeling like his eardrums erupted. He twisted the handle slightly and drew another ear-splitting scream from the wounded blonde.

“Jesus, woman! You’ve been through worse than this!”

She sobbed, her nails digging into the dirt. “Get it out, Damon!”

“If you don’t stop screaming I’ll leave it in!”

“ _Damon_!” she snarled. He rolled his eyes.

“This might hurt.”

“Wha—!”

The rest of her sentence ended on a loud shriek when Damon swiftly pulled the wood from her back. Caroline fell in a quivering heap on the ground.

“You’ll heal,” he rolled his eyes at her dramatics. “You’re a vampire, suck it up.”

She gave him a winded glare. “You wouldn’t happen to have any blood, would you?”

“Because I carry blood bags in my back pocket,” he scoffed. “I can find you a little bunny rabbit if you’re desperate.”

Caroline shuddered slightly. “No thank you. I don’t like all the fur.”

“I’d go get your boy toy if I knew where the hell we were,” Damon looked around the dark forest. The leaves of the trees were scraping and hitting each other at a furious pace. “Where the hell did that bastard even go?”

“To Jeremy and Tyler,” she said as got to her feet slowly. “I can hear them.”

“I’m surprised Tyler’s still alive,” Damon muttered as another loud crash echoed through the forest. “Let’s find them, they could need help.”

They ran in the direction they heard the screams. They could hear the snarls they assumed were Klaus’ and his mother chanting spells. They were getting closer when they heard more screams from another direction.

“Is that Elena?” Caroline asked as she took a step in the other direction. Damon closed his eyes and listened for them again but they sounded off. They almost sounded distorted.

“I think so,” he muttered as he opened his eyes again. He sighed; how was it that Elena _always_ ended up in trouble?

“We should split up,” she turned to Damon. “You help Tyler and Jeremy and I’ll get Elena.”

“Yeah, no,” Damon snorted. “Bonnie would kill me if I let you go off alone.”

“I’m a vampire! I can take care of myself!”

“It’s a dark forest and you’re a teenage girl. Vampire or no, I’m not letting you go off alone. We don’t know who else is out here.”

Caroline opened her mouth to protest but then closed it. She smirked. “You’re so whipped.”

“Because I won’t let you go off by yourself?”

“Only won’t because of Bonnie,” she gave him a triumphant grin. “I never thought I’d see the day where Damon Salvatore was actually in love.”

Damon rolled his eyes. “Fine. You get Elena and I’ll handle Klaus.”

Caroline laughed at his change of attitude. Before she took off, she turned back to him and gave him a small smile.

“It looks nice on you,” she said softly.

“What?”

“Love.”

Damon rolled his eyes and gave a snort of disgust. She laughed with a shake of her head before she took off. He briefly wondered if he ever apologized to her for everything he had done to her before he scoffed to himself. He didn’t do apologies, no matter who they were. Even if Blondie had started growing on him just a little bit, though he would never admit that to anyone. Vampire Caroline was much less annoying than insecure, whiny, human Caroline.

Another loud snarl interrupted his thoughts and he took off in the direction he and Caroline were headed before they stopped. It didn’t take him long to find the source of Klaus’s growling. As soon as he spotted the open clearing where Jeremy was lying unconscious next to a thick rock he picked up his pace. He had just run beyond the last set of trees before he was thrown back violently; he crashed through dozens of tree branches until a thick oak tree stopped him. He groaned as he sat up from the nice human-sized opening he made at the base, leaves and other debris falling from his clothes and hair.

“What the hell,” he groaned as he stood. He brushed himself off, frowning when he could no longer see the clearing. The barrier had thrown him further back into the forest. He scowled and ran back in the same direction, just stopping when he was by the second set of trees that led to the clearing. He squinted, just barely seeing the shimmering that blocked his path, and he had no doubt that it went all the way around the clearing. To his left, he could see Tyler struggling with a tree branch shoved through his abdomen while simultaneously screaming at Jeremy to wake up. Just beyond them, he could see flickers of orange indicating a fire. Damon felt a great wave of déjà vu wash over him as he was reminded of the night that Klaus took Jeremy and Elena and set half the woods on fire, including the Gilbert’s house.

“We need backup,” he muttered as he pulled out his phone. He dialed Stefan’s number, thankful when he answered on the second ring.

“We’ve got a problem,” he muttered. As Stefan started to ask what, he suddenly felt a fierce pain in his back. He dropped his phone in surprise, yelling when he was picked up and thrown into the tree in front of him. The elder Salvatore quickly righted himself, his eyes growing wide at the snarling being that was his best friend.

“Scum of the earth!” Alaric snapped as he rushed forward again. Damon just managed to dodge him before Alaric was next to him and throwing him into another tree.

“The hell did she do to you Alaric?” Damon groaned, coughing a little. Alaric crouched on all fours once more.

“She helped me reach my true potential. She made me stronger, faster, better than your kind,” he hissed. “She made me into the hunter I was always meant to be.”

Before Damon could even ask what that meant Alaric was charging for him again. This time he darted to the side in a circle. Alaric lunged for him when he passed the tree he bent in half and he used his hands to keep him at bay. They struggled; Damon started to bend under Alaric’s superior strength. Whatever this woman did to Alaric, it was bad news for all of them if he was taking it upon himself to hunt vampires.

Alaric cackled. “You’re going to die like the rest of them!”

Damon shoved him away with all the strength he had. Alaric lunged for him again but Damon was quicker. He quickly darted past Alaric and snagged his phone that was resting by the first tree he was thrown into and hopped into the trees. He dialed his brother’s number mid-jump as he hopped from branch to branch at lightning speed.

“Damon?” Stefan’s worried voice sounded through the phone speaker. Damon raised the phone to his ear as he landed on another tree branch.

“I lied. We’ve got a lot of problems.”

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

“Is he okay?” Bonnie asked Stefan worriedly as he got off the phone. “Is it bad?”

“It’s…it’s bad,” Stefan conceded. “They need help.”

“Then let’s go,” Bonnie started for the door but Stefan stopped her with a gentle hand to her shoulder.

“Bonnie, you can’t,” he said softly. “You have no magic.”

“If Esther is out there, I can draw from her power. She’s a witch,” Bonnie reassured. “And if they need help, I might be the only one who can do it.”

“How can you draw from her?”

“If she’s fighting Klaus, she’ll be releasing excess magic in the air. She’s already doing it, I can feel it from here,” she closed her green eyes briefly. “I can absorb it and it’ll make me stronger.”

Stefan briefly wondered if Bonnie was lying just to get out of the house to see Damon but he didn’t have time to determine if she was telling the truth.

“Fine, but the moment you’re in danger, you’re coming back here. Damon would kill me,” Stefan muttered. He glanced at Matt who merely shrugged.

“You’re staying.”

“I figured,” he said dryly. “Just bring my girlfriend back in one piece.”

* * *

Tyler dropped to his knees as he threw the tree branch away from him. By now the forest was alight with fire and smoke and it seemed to be coming from all directions. He coughed up more blood, letting the gaping hole in his stomach close a little before gathering himself and running to Jeremy. He was still unconscious and hadn’t moved from his spot.

“Hey baby,” he murmured as he pulled Jeremy into a sitting position. He bit into his wrist before pressing it against the pink lips. After a few seconds, Jeremy was latching onto his arm with his hands and sucking greedily. Tyler gently pried his arm away.

“What the hell is going on?” Jeremy asked as they both stood.

“Klaus and his mother are tearing apart the forest. I’m surprised no one in town has come to check it out.”

Jeremy looked around, completely bewildered at the amount of smoke wafting up from the trees. He was torn between wanting Klaus to kill his mother more or vice versa. At this point, he wasn’t sure who he wanted dead more.

“We need to go before that crazy woman comes back,” he breathed as he took Tyler’s hand. “She’s hell-bent on killing all of you—she turned Alaric!”

“I know. He used a branch to pin me to a tree,” Tyler said sourly. “We just need to get the hell out of here.”

“Where’s Elena?”

“I don’t know but we’ll find her and take her with us. How does Canada sound babe?”

Jeremy grinned, “Sounds perfect.”

They started running in the direction that led back to the main road. They just reached the edge when Alaric blocked their path.

“Ah ah,” he scolded lightly. He smirked when he stepped forward and they took a step back. Tyler immediately hopped in front of Jeremy with a snarl, making him laugh.

“He’s not the one that needs protecting,” Alaric sneered as he reached out quicker than Tyler could move and wrapped a steel-like hand around his throat.

“I wonder if I should just rip out your heart…or maybe I should rip off you head,” Alaric smirked as he crushed his windpipe. “Maybe I’ll do both.”

Jeremy threw a punch to Alaric’s face. He pulled back hissing in pain, the majority of his bones in his hand fractured or shattered at the sheer force before they healed quickly due to Tyler’s blood in his system. Alaric merely laughed before he placed his hand in the middle of Jeremy’s chest and shoved hard, causing him to fly halfway across the field and land right back where he started. He landed hard on his back, groaning when his head hit the lone tree stump.

“As I was saying,” Alaric started. He laughed at Tyler’s pathetic attempts to claw his face. That laugh quickly turned into a howl of pain and rage when a thick piece of bark was thrust into him from behind. He threw Tyler to the forest floor and turned to see Damon holding three more thick pieces.

“Bastard!” Alaric hissed before charging for him. Damon shoved the remaining pieces into his chest and stomach before taking off. The pieces wouldn’t completely stop him but it was enough for a head start. Alaric didn’t make it far after Damon before Tyler was hopping on his back, breaking the wooden piece sticking out off and leaving the remaining bark imbedded inside him. The vampire hunter howled in pain and rage as he tried to grab the hybrid on him.

“Tyler don’t!” Jeremy screamed when Tyler wrapped his hands around Alaric’s neck. “We can't kill him!”

“Are you serious?” Tyler yelled back as he struggled to maintain his position of brief power. “He’s going to kill all of us!”

“He’s linked to Elena!”

“What?” Tyler managed before Alaric managed to snatch him by his shirt and flip him over. He just managed to roll out the way of Alaric’s hand plunging into his chest and he took off for another part of the forest. “What the hell do you mean linked?”

“She did some kind of spell on them. If he dies, then she does and vice versa,” Jeremy managed to sit up against the tree stub.

“How do we unlink them?” Tyler screamed from somewhere to his left as he threw a kick to Alaric’s face. It did more damage than Jeremy’s earlier attack and it caused him to stumble before catching Tyler’s leg and swinging him outwards into the clearing. Tyler went crashing into dirt, stopping just before Jeremy and leaving a long trail of uprooted grass in his wake. He groaned and turned onto his back, spitting grass and dirt from his mouth.

“How are we supposed to kill him?" he asked while sitting up.

“I don’t know. That’s why we need to leave,” Jeremy stood shakily before helping Tyler up as well. Suddenly Alaric was behind him and held him in a grip lock. He used one hand to snatch the Gilbert ring off Jeremy’s finger and threw it far into the forest. Jeremy’s head rested between his hands and he knew it would take one twist from the vastly stronger hunter for his life to be over. Tyler hopped to his feet, eyes wide with pure fear.

“Alaric, don’t,” he breathed.

He laughed. “I’m not a fool. I knew he wouldn’t be around you without some kind of protection,” he growled at Jeremy who was struggling to free himself. “But now he dies and so do you.”

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. One minute, Tyler had his eyes locked with Jeremy and he was running to save him. The next, he was nearly hurtling into a tree because Alaric and Jeremy disappeared. Tyler turned around and saw Klaus snarling at Alaric with Jeremy in his arms.

"No!" he snarled as he ran towards them. Klaus took one look at him and snarled before jumping back into the forest. Tyler could hear Alaric taunting Klaus from the other side but he hardly cared about him at this point. Jeremy was back in Klaus' arms and Tyler would be damned if he lost him a second time.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Caroline covered her nose and mouth with her hand as she ran through the thick smoke and the flames. She could hear Elena calling for help and desperation made her run faster. No vampire or human would be able to last in this fire.

“Elena!” Caroline screamed as she ran towards her best friend. Elena had taken a chance and tried to run through the trees only to twist her ankle on a fallen tree branch.

She screamed when part of her blonde curls caught on fire but she managed to put them out with speed. Just as quickly, she scooped Elena in her arms and ran back through the path she had quickly forged, Elena’s arms wrapping around her neck tight enough to choke her if she were still human.

“Thank God,” Elena coughed when Caroline finally deemed it safe to set her down. “I thought…I was…going to be…dead.”

“Me too,” the blonde frowned at her scorched curls. “I can’t believe this! Klaus seriously sucks for putting us through this.”

Elena tried to stand but crumpled on her swollen ankle. Caroline quickly bit her wrist and fed it to her.

“Thanks,” she sighed. “Klaus’ mother is a witch. She turned Alaric into a vampire and bound our lives together.”

“Alaric?”

Elena quickly explained the story to her best friend.

“This never ends, does it?” Caroline laughed as she ran a hand through her hair. “So, if you’re bonded to him, then why the fire?”

“I don’t know. It’s like when the car drove me here alone. It’s like someone’s controlling these things.”

“Maybe she secretly wants Alaric dead and the only way to do it is through you!”

“Or because there are other forces at work that you cannot see.”

The girls whipped around quickly to see Esther standing before them. Her dress was torn and she was bloody. The fight with Klaus had taken its toll on her dying body.

“You are too much of a liability now,” she murmured as she held out a shaking palm. “I will not have my plans ruined by you.”

Caroline quickly hopped in front of Elena. Esther laughed coldly before waving her hand. Caroline went flying into a nearby tree, pinned to the bark and suspended in midair. She brought her hand back to Elena.

“Run Elena!” Caroline screamed.

“If you kill me Alaric dies. You don’t want that,” Elena said to Esther quickly. “Not after all that trouble you just went through—”

“I’m not going to kill you. But you will go where no one will find you, especially the ghosts,” Esther looked crazed in the light of the fire. “I’m going to make you disappear.”

Elena stared in horror as she backed away. Another figure darted from the trees and knocked Esther off her feet to the ground. Elena gasped out a sigh of relief when she saw Stefan and she ran to him, throwing her arms around him.

“You’re okay,” he murmured as if to reassure himself. She nodded.

“It’s been a crazy night,” she laughed. He nodded and kissed her forehead.

“Tell me about it.”

“Guys!” Caroline screamed from her tree. The two lovers turned to see Esther getting back up, looking more overwrought than before. Her expression was one of pure evil as she stared at Stefan. She reached out her hand again and Stefan and Caroline suddenly dropped to their knees holding their heads in their hands, screaming in pure agony.

“Stefan!” Elena cried as she dropped in front of him. She stared at Esther pleadingly. “Please stop, please!”

Esther walked closer, looking every bit possessed as she chanted under her breath. Suddenly she screamed and fell to her knees once more. The curse was lifted off of Stefan and Caroline as Bonnie emerged from the trees, chanting under her breath as she inflicted the same kind of pain onto the witch. Wasting no time, Stefan appeared in front of Esther and plunged his hand into her chest before pulling out her heart. Bonnie dropped to the ground in exhaustion.

“Are you okay?” Elena ran to Caroline and Bonnie. “How did you just do that?”

“I was feeding off the magic she was releasing. She was dying, she couldn’t contain it all,” Bonnie sighed tiredly. The other two girls helped her to stand, facing Stefan when he approached them.

“How are we going to unlink you and Alaric now?” Caroline murmured. Elena shook her head.

“There has to be another way. She couldn’t have been the only one who knew how to do it.”

“Hopefully before Alaric kills Klaus,” Stefan murmured. He pulled out his cell phone to call Damon. Suddenly Bonnie gasped, alerting everyone.

“What?”

“All of Esther’s magic…it came to me,” she murmured as she looked at her hands. She snapped her fingers and a flame appeared on the palm of her hand. She smiled widely. “I have my magic back.”

* * *

Jeremy shoved at Klaus in vain as they ran through the forest so fast that his eyes watered. He would rather be dead or captured by Alaric than be _anywhere_ with Klaus.

"Put me down!" he snarled at the hybrid.

"Not until you're safe, far, far away from here," Klaus muttered as he kept running. Jeremy ducked quickly as a tree branch grazed his hair.

"Klaus I swear—!"

Suddenly they were falling sideways as someone barreled into Klaus from the left. He nearly fell out of Klaus' grip but the hybrid held steady as they traveled higher and higher into the thick trees. Jeremy could hear Alaric cursing under them as he followed.

"You're going to die, you're going to die!" Alaric chanted wickedly as he picked up speed. Klaus' arm tightened around Jeremy's broad chest as he bounded from tree to tree, keeping his height and fluidly making sure Jeremy didn't hit any branches. The boy did his best not to look down.

"Jeremy!" he heard Tyler scream somewhere distant below them. He was too choked up to call for his mate, the height at which they were traveling making him nauseous. And there was no Gilbert ring to protect him now.

He just caught sight of Alaric's face before he dove for them with the enchanted white oak stake in his hand. It pierced Klaus' back and he howled in pain as they went tumbling down to the forest floor. Jeremy couldn't avoid the number of branches and trees he hit as he fell to what he presumed was he death. Tyler was too far away to get to him in time.

As branches scraped him and his bones broke from the pressure of hitting the still trunks, his life flashed before his eyes. He thought of his sister, Bonnie and the little family they had formed over the past few years. He thought of Jenna, of who Alaric used to be and of his mate, his wonderful, loving mate who did everything he could to save him only for him to die like this. It was unfair that he was going to be ripped away from Tyler again. It hurt that he wouldn't be with the love of his life but maybe Tyler would join him shortly. Maybe they wouldn’t have to spend eternity apart. Maybe—

A pair of arms caught him just before he hit the ground. His world spun for a moment before he was looking down into Klaus' face. Jeremy's heart pounded as he stared at the hybrid, hardly aware of anything other than the pounding of his own heart. Klaus' face suddenly morphed into a horrified grimace before Jeremy found himself on his back and Klaus hovering over him...and Alaric's hand poking through his chest.

Jeremy stared into Klaus' face in horror as he coughed blood onto him. He knew he should do something, knew he should stop Alaric from killing the one person keeping his mate alive but all he could do was stare into Klaus' rapidly dulling eyes. He was vaguely aware that the white oak stake was still in Klaus' back. Alaric's hand pulled away some and moved around before grabbing onto what Jeremy assumed was Klaus' heart. By the way his eyes widened, Jeremy knew what was coming next. It seemed nearly impossible, yet it was happening and in the worst way.

“I love you,” he rasped. There was a sickening sound as Alaric pulled Klaus’ heart through his back before he shoved his body away. Jeremy watched as Klaus landed next to him and remained completely still.


	28. Chapter 28

“Did Esther have a grimoire or something to do the spell?” Bonnie asked Elena as she, Caroline and Stefan ran through the forest.

Elena shook her head, “She just said it. It seemed like a really old spell.”

“We don’t have time to look up a spell to practice. If Alaric is going to kill Klaus then we need to act quickly,” Bonnie stopped. “What about that heart-stop spell I did on Elena to bring Jeremy back?”

“You need a living human to perform it, right?”

“Yeah. Does Matt have a Gilbert ring?”

“No, just Alaric and Jeremy,” Elena sighed in frustration. “Maybe it would just be better if—”

“Don’t finish that,” Stefan glared at her. “We’re not letting you die Elena.”

“Maybe that’s the only way,” Elena pleaded to him. “If that’s what it takes to keep you all safe then I’ll sacrifice myself.”

“Who cares about being safe if you’re not safe too?” Caroline snapped. “Your life is just as important!”

Before Elena could continue her protesting, Damon appeared in front of them, startling all of them. Bonnie ran straight into his arms, crashing their lips together.

“Okay?” he murmured between kisses.

She hummed in agreement, her lips too preoccupied to give a response. Caroline coughed, alerting them of their presence.

“As cute as you two are, we still have a problem named Alaric,” Caroline reminded. Damon rolled his eyes at her as he wrapped his arm around Bonnie.

“He took off after Klaus and Jeremy.”

The blonde’s eyes widened in alarm, “Where’s Tyler?”

“Gone after them. We need to stop them because there’s no telling what will happen.”

“You guys go. I’ll figure out how to unlink Elena and Alaric,” Bonnie gave them a small smile. “Be careful.”

“You too,” Caroline gave her a tight hug before the trio took off.

“How exactly are you going to unlink them when you have no magic?” Damon asked incredulously.

“I do have magic,” she grinned. “When Stefan killed Esther—”

“He did _what_?”

“It’s fine!” she interrupted. “I absorbed her magic when she died. I have magic again Damon.”

“She was the only one that knew how to kill Alaric,” Damon groaned. “He’s not going to stop until every Original vampire is dead and we are too.”

“Then we should probably start figuring that out now.”

* * *

Jeremy stared at Klaus’ lifeless body with numb shock. He still couldn’t comprehend that Klaus was dead. There was no feeling of satisfaction or relief at seeing his body, only a feeling of dazed dread seeping into him. It didn’t seem right for Klaus, as powerful as he was and as many times he avoided death, to die like this. He couldn’t help but feel that the whole thing was anticlimactic.

He jumped when his heart landed next to him. He looked into Alaric’s face, paralyzed with fear as the vampire hunter glared at him coldly. Jeremy gulped visibly as the realization that he would most definitely die now. With Klaus gone, there was no one standing between him and his crazed vampire-turned guardian.

“Such a fool,” he snarled. “He sacrificed himself for you and you’re mated to another.”

Jeremy scrambled backwards, hissing at the searing pain in his arm. Alaric grabbed him by his neck without effort and raised him to his eye level.

“Alaric…please….!” he gasped as he struggled for breath. Alaric sneered.

“That witch was wrong. The only way to kill the other hybrid is to kill you.”

“What’re you…talking about…?” Jeremy started hyperventilating as he tried to pry Alaric’s hand off of him. He didn’t want to die like this. Not by the man who was like a father to him.

 _Tyler,_ he pleaded internally. _Please, Tyler_.

Suddenly Alaric screamed and dropped Jeremy to the ground. He landed on his broken arm, crying out in pain. He stared with wide eyes as Tyler latched onto Alaric from behind and sank his teeth into his neck. The hunter screamed viciously as he tried to throw Tyler off of him. Tyler ripped part of Alaric’s throat out before sinking his teeth onto the other side. Jeremy watched in morbid fascination as Alaric screamed and struggled to remove Tyler’s fangs from him, the wound in his neck spurting blood like a fountain.

The vampire hunter let out a scream and threw himself forward, then backwards. Tyler didn’t budge as his fangs sank deeper into his neck. He ripped another chunk out of his throat before removing himself. Jeremy flinched at the blood that coated his face and the dangerous glint of yellow in his eyes. Those fierce orbs landed on Klaus’ body and he ceased all movement.

“Ty,” Jeremy said softly. Tyler’s attention snapped back to him and he quickly scooped him into his arms before hopping into the nearest tree. He ripped the skin of his wrist and pressed it to Jeremy’s lips.

“I’m sorry,” Tyler murmured as he fed. “I couldn’t let him kill you. I wish I would’ve got to you sooner.”

“It’s okay,” Jeremy cupped his face and pressed their foreheads together. “You saved me.”

They both turned back when they heard Alaric. He was holding his hands against his neck as he continued snarling and screaming.

“How long will it take for the venom to spread?” Jeremy asked quietly.

“Not long. Since I’m a hybrid it’ll spread faster.”

Jeremy kissed his jaw quickly to reassure him. They watched through the branches as Alaric ran around in circles. Finally he darted through the trees and disappeared. Tyler and Jeremy waited with baited breath for him to reemerge but he never did.

“I think we’re safe,” Tyler breathed as he lowered them down to the ground. They landed next to Klaus’ body surrounded by a pool of blood. Little pools beyond them presented the pattern in which Alaric had run around before disappearing in the woods.

“He’s dead,” Jeremy whispered. Tyler nodded, squeezing his hand.

“Yeah, he is.”

“Okay…you’re not dying so—so maybe nothing will happen,” he pulled Tyler into his arms. “Maybe Katherine was wrong.”

“Jer,” Tyler cupped his face gently. “Don’t panic.”

Jeremy nodded, blinking back his tears of terror and cupped Tyler’s hands.

“I just…this can’t be how it ends,” he said weakly. “We came this far and now…this can’t be it.”

“It’s _not_ ,” he whispered. “Maybe they were wrong.”

“Tyler! Jeremy!”

They turned as Caroline, Elena and Stefan. They all stopped when they saw Klaus’ body.

“Is that…?” Elena asked in shock. Jeremy nodded.

“No,” Caroline whispered as she stepped back. “Oh my God.”

“It’s okay—we don’t know if he’s your sire,” Jeremy said quickly. “And Esther—she never wanted to kill werewolves, so maybe she’s got a spell or—”

“Esther’s dead,” Stefan said sorrowfully. “She was going to kill Elena.”

Jeremy’s heart stopped, “Wh-What?”

“Damnit!” Elena ran her hands through her hair. “God—why does this keep _happening_?”

Jeremy stared at Stefan’s pained face, stared as Caroline started sobbing and Elena covered her face and cried into Stefan’s chest. He turned to Tyler who was staring back at him just as grimly.

“Hey,” Tyler cupped his face when he saw the hopelessness filling his face and the tears falling. “I’m still here. Maybe it’s not true.”

“You’re going to die,” he whispered as he sank to his knees. “He’s dead—he was the one thing keeping you alive and now—now Alaric’s dying—”

“What?” Stefan cried hoarsely. “How?”

“He was going to kill Jeremy,” Tyler pulled Jeremy against him desperately. “I’m sorry—”

“You did the right thing,” Elena said weakly as she smiled at him. “It’s okay.”

Jeremy turned his face into Tyler’s stomach and wrapped his arms around his waist. Tyler felt dread seeping into him. How things could have progressed to where they were now, he had no idea. At this rate the only ones that would be left alive in the morning would be Matt and Bonnie.

“Okay, okay let’s not freak out yet,” Caroline had taken control once more and wiped her eyes of her tears. “We don’t know anything for sure and, maybe since Bonnie has her magic back she can do something—”

“Bonnie has her magic back?” Jeremy asked, turning his head from Tyler’s chest to face them. “How?”

“Esther’s magic transferred to her when she died,” Caroline sniffed. “I need to tell Matt that—that I might—that _we_ might—”

“Let’s go home,” Stefan sighed as he lifted his girlfriend into his arms. Tyler stood, bringing Jeremy up with him and carefully situated him on his back before leaving the forest.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Jeremy clutched Tyler for dear life as they sat in the living room of the boarding house. They had been out of the woods for an hour and everything, so far, was fine. Maybe everything would be okay. Maybe they had eluded death once more and now they could finally live in peace.

Except they weren’t sure how far the werewolf venom had spread in Alaric and his sister’s time was limited. He couldn’t even bring himself to be mad at Tyler; he just wished none of them were dragged into this mess.

“This has to be it,” Bonnie said as she, Caroline and Damon poured over three different grimoires. “This is a linking spell linking two lives together.”

“Are you sure?” Stefan asked. The stress was clear in his voice as he kept a careful eye on Elena. “What if it’s something completely different?”

“It can’t hurt to try Stefan. At worst, we keep trying spells until we get the right one or she dies,” Damon stood. “Bonnie’s stronger than before. It could work.”

“But—”

“Stefan, let her try,” Elena said softly. “He’s right. At worst, it doesn’t work and they keep trying.”

“We don’t know how much time you have!” his voice was nearly hysterical. “They could only have time for one spell Elena!”

Elena cupped his face and kissed him hard.

“Then give me your blood,” she whispered. His eyebrows scrunched.

“What?”

“If it doesn’t work, then that will.”

Stefan’s eyes widened as he understood her request. Her words made Jeremy move from his place against Tyler.

“Elena…are you sure about this?” he asked uncertainly.

“I’ve been thinking about it,” she murmured. “And this had to happen sometime, right? Vampires can’t be cured.”

“But what about…you wanted a family. Kids,” Jeremy said weakly. Elena smiled and pulled her brother into a hug.

“I’ll find ways around it,” she whispered as she pulled away. “It’ll be fine Jeremy. Just…don’t worry, okay? I won’t regret it. It’ll be worth it.”

Jeremy gave a resigned nod. He couldn’t judge his sister’s decision, not while he’d been thinking the same thing lately about him and Tyler. When he had been in transition, a part of him considered just going through with it because it only seemed fair. There was no way for Tyler to become just a werewolf again and the only way for them to be together through eternity was for him to become immortal. If Elena wanted to make that same choice to be with Stefan he couldn’t object.

Stefan stroked his hand down Elena’s hair before biting into his wrist and giving it to her. She drank from it heavily. His eyelids dropped when he gently pushed her away and saw the blood coating her lips.

The doppelganger gave him a sheepish smile. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he sounded breathless. Damon gave a loud cough.

“The spell?” he reminded with a roll of his eyes. They had the decency to blush before Stefan stepped away from her.

“We should find Alaric,” Elena said. “He should be buried. He’d want to be by Jenna…”

Her voice caught at Jenna’s name.

“We will,” Damon said softly. Elena gave him a watery smile and closed her eyes. Bonnie started chanting and the candles around the room dimmed. They watched the doppelganger with bated breath and wonder as the power of Bonnie’s newfound magic surrounded them. Suddenly, Elena’s eyes opened wide and she dropped to her knees as if she were gasping for air.

“Elena?” Stefan was by her side in moments. Bonnie immediately stopped the spell, worry creasing her face.

“Is this supposed to happen?” Caroline cried. Bonnie quickly shook her head with wide eyes.

“Stefan!” Elena gasped as grabbed his arm. “Alaric…can’t breathe—!”

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head before she slumped forward. Stefan caught her and turned her onto her back his face grief-stricken as he stared into her lifeless face.

“No!” he gasped. Jeremy was by her side in seconds.

“Elena!”

A loud shout had them swiveling their heads in Tyler’s direction. The hybrid had fallen to his hands and knees, shaking violently. He looked up, the veins under his eyes visibly black and purple and his eyes yellow before he threw up a mouthful of blood onto the floor.

“No!” Jeremy gasped as he crawled to Tyler. His heart pounded wildly as Tyler choked up more blood. “No Tyler!”

“I’m sorry,” he gasped through harsh coughing as more blood spilled for his lips. Jeremy let out a harsh sob.

“No, no, no, no Tyler no!” he sobbed as another mouthful of blood splattered his hands and his jeans. “Don’t do this to me baby, _please_!”

It seemed to take everyone a moment to realize what exactly was happening and even less time to react. Damon grabbed Tyler and rushed him upstairs to his room. Tyler hurled up another mouthful of red onto Damon’s shirt and face as he laid him down.

“Sorry,” he gasped. Damon shook his head before leaving just as quickly. Caroline, Matt and Bonnie replaced him. The two blondes sat on the edge of the bed, tears streaking their faces, while Bonnie threw herself on the floor with her grandma’s spell book in her lap. She flipped furiously through the battered pages to find a spell to save her childhood friend.

“I c-c-can’t believe this!” she sobbed as she smoothed his hair back. “Y-You can’t leave us T-Ty!”

“Don’t cry,” he raised a weak hand to wipe her tears away. “It’s okay Care-bear.”

She sobbed at the nick-name he made for her.

“You’re dying! A-And I can’t help you!”

Tyler smiled weakly with blood-coated teeth.

“Don’t cry,” he repeated. “Do you feel anything?”

She shook her head tearfully, “I feel fine.”

Damon quickly re-entered the room with a bowl of water and a towel and handed them to Caroline.

“Alaric and Elena are dead,” he said solemnly. Caroline let out another sob, Matt’s arms around her doing little to comfort her. Tyler closed his eyes in regret.

“Tell Stefan I’m…so sorry.”

The elder Salvatore shook his head.

“It’s not your fault Tyler. I don’t think we would’ve unlinked them.”

The last part of his sentence was drowned out by Tyler leaning over and throwing up more blood into the bucket. He was shaking so violently that Caroline had to hold him to keep him from falling.

“It’s not your fault,” she whimpered as she took the damp cloth and wiped away the blood around his mouth. “You c-can’t blame yourself Tyler, y-you only wanted to s-save Jeremy.”

Tyler nodded, feeling dizzy and nauseated and hot and cold and like his head was splitting. If he had the strength, he would’ve ripped his own skin apart. The lights were too bright and too dim at the same time and he couldn’t remember a time he’d felt so horrible.

“Wh—Where’s Jer?”

“He’s coming,” she promised.

“T-Tell him I’m sorry…I—I d-didn’t mean to kill her…”

“He knows,” Caroline soothed through her tears as she wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“You gotta be—be strong for me Care,” he smiled. “You’re one of the—strongest people I know. You’ll have to h-help Elena get used to this.”

She let out another sob and buried her face in his chest. Tyler felt tears burning in his eyes but he kept them in and stroked her hair. A sudden pain wracked him and he was quickly pushing Caroline away before he rolled onto his side and coughed up more blood into the bucket. The blonde wailed louder and Matt pulled her away.

Bonnie watched the scene through her own tears. She had flipped to the back of the book and it rested uselessly in her lap.

“I—I can’t find a spell,” she whimpered. “N-Not in this book.”

“It’s okay,” Tyler rasped. “Get out of here Bonnie.”

“No! There has to be something—anything!” she threw the book to the side. “There has to be—I can find it and learn it—!”

“Get out of here,” he begged. “You need to…be with Damon. If they d-don’t have much time…”

Another series of coughs interrupted him. Bonnie let out a helpless sob. Damon appeared in the doorway, this time with Jeremy right behind him.

“Hey baby,” he crooned as he ran to him. “I’m here.”

“I’m sorry…about Elena,” he managed through the coughs. Jeremy shook his head.

“She’s alive, sort of,” he laughed tearfully. “She’ll be okay, just like you’re gonna be okay.”

Damon helped Bonnie to her feet and followed Matt and Caroline from the room. He glanced at Tyler and Jeremy once more before shutting the door behind him.

“No I’m not,” Tyler said hoarsely. Jeremy kissed his forehead.

“You’re going to be fine,” he whispered desperately. “You have to be.”

In response Tyler hurled more blood into the bucket. Jeremy quickly lay behind him and wrapped an arm around his waist to steady his shaking.

“You’ll be fine,” he repeated like a mantra. He kissed the back of his sweaty neck and nuzzled him. Tyler gripped the arm around his waist as if it were a lifeline.

“I don’t want to die,” he admitted. “It’s too soon a-and there’s so much that—that we never…”

“Shh,” Jeremy soothed as he pulled Tyler closer. He was burning up but Jeremy wouldn’t let him go even if he were on fire. “Just rest.”

Tyler let out a rough sound that was between a sob and a cough.

“I don’t want to leave you,” he whispered painfully as his own tears finally started falling. “I—I don’t want t-to be on the-the Other Side a-and you’re here.”

“I know,” Jeremy hugged him harder.

“I wanted t-to marry you. I know I said it wasn’t n-necessary but the more we talked about it the—the more I wanted to do it and I—I wanted to do everything we t-talked about an-and now we won’t get to,” he cried. “I’m n-not ready to die.”

Jeremy pulled him in as close as he possible could. He couldn’t even bother holding in his tears as he buried his face in Tyler’s hair. Listening to Tyler’s words, hearing his cries was ripping him apart and he would’ve done anything for Tyler then.

“So marry me. Right now,” Jeremy cupped his face. Tyler laughed past his tears.

“We can’t Jer.”

“Yes we can. Bonnie’s a witch, I’m sure there’s some marital spell that she can do.”

“What’s the point?” he asked helplessly. “I’m still going to die.”

“The point is that you want this. So do I,” Jeremy pressed their foreheads together. “I’m asking you Tyler: will you marry me?”

Tyler could see the desperation in Jeremy’s face just as he could feel it in his body and it made his heart ache. He nodded as his eyes fell shut. Jeremy was out of the room in seconds, hurtling himself downstairs and stopping before Damon, Matt, Caroline and Bonnie.

“Is he…?” Matt asked painfully. Jeremy shook his head.

“No. But before he does…we need someone to marry us.”

They stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.

“Jer….” Bonnie started weakly.

“I know it’s insane but just help me give him this one thing,” he begged. “There has to be a way, right?”

They all looked at each other at a loss. Damon was the first to move, grabbing a grimoire from the floor.

“Grab Stefan’s laptop,” Damon ordered to Caroline. “One of you—probably Matt—is going to have to get ordained so we can do this legally.”

Caroline dashed upstairs before another word was uttered. Bonnie shook herself from her shock and handed Matt the book she was holding before grabbing the last one off the floor and looking through it.

“Can you make a marital certificate?” Damon asked Bonnie. She nodded.

“I just need to see what one looks like.”

Jeremy threw his arms around Bonnie in a tight hug. She was caught off guard but she returned it just as fiercely.

“Thank you,” he whispered, looking over her shoulder to Damon. The vampire met his gaze and nodded once.

“Of course,” she whispered thickly. He pulled back before running back upstairs.

“Ty?” he murmured as he pressed his lips to his forehead. Tyler let out a raspy breath.

“Just hang on baby,” Jeremy got back in position. Tyler shuddered before leaning over to spit more blood into the bucket. The younger boy prayed harder than he ever had in his life to let Tyler at least see them married before he passed.

* * *

Elena gasped as her eyes shot open. She blinked as she looked around, her eyes eventually landing on Stefan.

“Hey,” he whispered hoarsely. She sat up quickly.

“What happened?”

He gazed at her sadly. “The spell didn’t work and Alaric…he’s dead, Elena.”

A sudden rush of sadness hit her and she covered her mouth to cover the sob she let out. Stefan grabbed her in a tight hug.

“Alaric,” she whimpered into his shoulder. Her heart ached for the man she had come to see as another father. She couldn’t help but blame herself for dragging everyone she loved into the world of the supernatural and nothing had come of it except for pain and suffering. Everyone had suffered in some way.

“He didn’t deserve this,” she whispered as they pulled apart. “He t-took Jeremy and I in and h-h-he didn’t have to do that at all.”

“I know love,” Stefan kissed her forehead. “I know he wouldn’t blame you for this.”

Elena nodded, wiping her eyes. It was then that she noticed how different everything looked. She could see that they were in Stefan’s room but everything seemed clearer. It almost seemed _too_ clear.

“You’re in transition,” he said softly, as if he were answering her unspoken question. “But you don’t have to go through with it if you don’t want.”

She scowled at him, “I told you that I would if it allowed for us to be together. Do _you_ not want me to be a vampire? Because I guess now would be the time to say if you don’t want to spend an eternity with me.”

“That’s not it,” Stefan’s lips quirked into a smile. “I know you didn’t want to be a vampire before and you wanted a normal, human life. I don’t want to take that away from you like I took it away from Damon. Like it was taken away from me.”

“I made this decision,” she snapped. “I wanted a normal life, yes, but things change. Now I want a life with you. You’re not taking anything away from me.”

Stefan chuckled at her tone before bringing out a blood bag. She snatched it quickly and drank it in seconds. It seemed to take her a moment to realize what she was doing.

“I just drank someone’s blood,” she looked disgusted.

“AB positive blood,” Stefan chuckled. “O positive is usually the best.”

She stared at him queasily.

“Elena, don’t think about it,” he murmured. “You’ll get used to it.”

“I know…it’s just weird,” she sighed. “But you’re right, I’ll get used to it.”

Stefan kissed her forehead. When he pulled back, Elena could tell something was wrong by the look on his face.

“What?”

He sighed heavily, “Tyler’s dying.”

“What?” she cried as she shot up. “When did it start?”

“When you died at 1:21.”

“How long have I been asleep—er, transitioning?”

“Only an hour.”

Caroline burst through the door, her frizzy curls flying past her face.

“Is she awake?”

Elena gazed at her best friend, realizing she could see the lint on her shirt. Caroline gave her a small smile.

“At least he’ll have you there. I was worried neither of them would have their family present,” she said softly. Elena blinked.

“What’s going on?”

“Matt’s finished his speech and Bonnie just finished with the certificate, we just need them to sign it but I’m sure she can recreate Tyler’s signature if he…” she trailed off as her throat closed. Elena could smell her tears from across the room.

“What’s happening?” she asked Stefan. He smiled grimly.

“Their wedding.”

She gaped at him, “What?”

“They’re engaged. Tyler’s mother was planning a ceremony for them,” Caroline sniffled. “We were waiting to see if you would be able to make it.”

Elena looked back and forth between them, completely floored. She figured she should’ve seen this coming but to hear it like this…and now with Tyler dying….

“We’re about to start,” the blonde sighed as she closed the door.

“Do you think you can handle that love?” Stefan said softly. “I’m sure they would understand if—”

“I’m fine,” she stood. “I have to be there. He’s my brother.”

Stefan nodded as he took her hand and led her out of his room to Damon’s. The room was covered with candles, both floating and stationary and changed the colors of white, green and purple. Little bouquets of flowers sat on Damon’s dresser and night stand and a thick ring of flowers surrounded his bed. Matt stood at the end of the bed, holding index cards and muttering under his breath. Bonnie, Damon and Caroline were huddled over Damon’s messy table. Beyond them, she could see Tyler and Jeremy on Damon’s bed. She gasped when she saw how pale Tyler was. If she hadn’t been able to hear his shallow breathing, she would’ve believed him dead.

Matt smiled at her, “I’m glad you could make it.”

Before she could respond Bonnie had barreled into her.

“Thank God you’re okay,” she whispered. Her blood smelled so good that it made the veins appear from under her eyes and they darkened. Before she knew what was happening, Damon had snatched Bonnie away and Stefan cupped Elena’s face, rubbing his thumbs under her eyes.

“It’s okay, just breathe,” he whispered. “Deep breaths Elena.”

“I’m sorry,” Bonnie clutched Damon tightly.

“You’re fine,” Stefan called back, not taking his eyes his girlfriend. “Just breathe babe, you’re okay.”

“I’m sorry,” Elena breathed as her veins disappeared. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, you’re new at this,” he kissed her cheek. He took a blood bag from Caroline with a thankful smile.

“O positive,” he chuckled as he handed it to her. She took it immediately and sucked the blood out as if it were juice.

“Do you want to step outside?” Stefan asked her but she didn’t hear him, her eyes fixed on her brother and his fiancé. She was next to them before she realized she moved. Tyler’s eyes fluttered open and he gave her a weak smile.

“You’re okay,” he breathed. Elena opened her mouth to answer but all that came out was a sob. She dropped to her knees next to the bed.

“There has to be a spell or something!” she cried looking at Stefan. “We can’t just…there has to be something!”

“There isn’t Elena,” Damon said quietly. Elena turned back to Tyler tearfully. It looked as if it were taking everything in him to keep his eyes open.

“Ready, Matt?” Bonnie asked softly. The blonde nodded solemnly before going to stand at the foot of the bed.

“You guys stay there. Tyler, do you think you could sign this?” Caroline asked as she knelt next to the bed. He sat up, breathing heavily as he took the pen from her and scribbled his signature underneath Jeremy’s.

“You guys didn’t have to do this,” he sighed.

“Yes we did,” Matt interjected. Tyler gave him a weak smile before his eyes fell shut again.

“Here,” Caroline handed Elena a bouquet of flowers and pushed her and Stefan towards Jeremy’s side of the bed before taking her place on the other side by Tyler next to Damon. When Elena realized why Caroline had positioned them that way she nearly burst into tears.

“You ready, babe?” Jeremy murmured. Tyler nodded, squeezing his arm around him tiredly. Jeremy nodded to Matt and he started his speech. As he spoke, Bonnie murmured enchantments under her breath and created their wedding rings. Tyler whimpered in Jeremy’s arms as he felt more pain hit him and Jeremy held him tighter, murmuring nothings to him.

Elena watched the ceremony completely awestruck and devastated that this was occurring. It seemed impossible that they could do this and it was such a beautiful gesture that she believed that it could only be done by her friends. The marriage couldn’t change Tyler’s fate but that didn’t matter. And Tyler knew it couldn’t change but all he wanted was to spend the last hours of his life married to the man he loved. She met Caroline’s eyes and saw the same tears that were running down her face on the blonde’s pale cheeks.

Her breath hitched when Matt came to the declaration of intent. She watched Jeremy’s hand over Tyler’s and laced their fingers together as they each said _I do_ and shared an Eskimo kiss.

“Bonnie, do you have the rings?” Matt asked.

She stood, careful of the ring of flowers as she handed them to Jeremy. They watched solemnly as Jeremy slipped his on where his Gilbert ring normally was before sliding Tyler’s on.

“Where’s your Gilbert ring?” Elena asked.

“Alaric threw it in the woods,” he muttered as he pushed it down on Tyler’s finger. Matt declared them legally married and they sealed it with a tender kiss. They watched with soft smiles as they enjoyed their first couple moments as a married couple.

“Thank you,” Tyler panted to them. He started sweating profusely and his shaking had returned with duress.

“Jeremy, how do you want your last name?”

“Gilbert-Lockwood is fine,” he muttered distractedly, rubbing Tyler’s back as he leaned over to throw up more blood. “Thank you guys.”

“Of course man,” Matt muttered as he pulled his distraught girlfriend from the room. The other’s followed, carefully shutting the door behind them.

“Y-You should go,” the hybrid rasped, rolling onto his back. “I don’t want you to—to see this.”

“It’s our wedding night and you’re kicking me out?” Jeremy tried to joke past his tears. “Pretty sure that’s not how it works Tyler.”

“I—I don’t want you to see me die.”

“I’m staying,” he said firmly. “I’ll be here until the end Ty. I’m not leaving you alone.”

Tyler nodded, grateful that Jeremy was stubborn. He really didn’t want to be alone when the time really came.

“Where should we go for our honeymoon?” Jeremy asked desperately, trying to distract him.

“Let’s backpack in Europe. We can…stay there for a couple months and…and travel around. See what’s out there.”

“That sounds amazing,” Jeremy said wistfully. “I can’t wait.”

“M-Maybe you could go to—to art school in Italy.”

“That would be nice. And expensive,” Jeremy chuckled.

“Don’t worry about—about money. If you want to do it th-then you should,” Tyler shuddered as another wave of pain hit him. “D-Don’t let money stop you from doing what you love Jer.”

The younger boy pressed their lips together sweetly.

“What about after the honeymoon? What college do you want to go to?”

“I don’t know…maybe somewhere with…engineering. I’ll go somewhere…close to your…fancy art school you talk about.”

“It’s in Boston. I’m sure they have something for engineers. That’s a good field for you, you’re good at math.”

“A-And then you could go to school to…paint,” Tyler rasped as he got lost in their life. “And then when—when we have kids you could stay home with them.”

“You’re making me the stay-at-home dad?” Jeremy asked with a laugh. “What if I have an art studio?”

“It’ll be…in our house. I’ll build it for you.”

Jeremy laughed, “Our very own Lockwood mansion.”

“Yeah. Filled with kids.”

“How many are we talking?”

“Four or five.”

“Are we adopting?”

“Yeah. Or we could do that…in vitro thing or whatever where you find a surrogate mom. I think th-that would be cool.”

“Yeah. I could only imagine four or five little Tylers running around,” Jeremy chuckled. “I hope we get a girl. That would be fun.”

Tyler’s smile widened as his eyes fluttered shut again, “I want that too.”

He fell back into unconsciousness, the sound of his ragged breathing the only reassuring sound to Jeremy. He pulled Tyler closer and rested his face in the hybrid’s neck, breathing in deeply at the woodsy, earthy smell that was uniquely Tyler. He wondered if he had always smelled that way or if that was something that came with being a werewolf.

“Jeremy.”

The younger Gilbert jerked when he heard his name behind him; he turned quickly and gasped when he saw Alaric.

“I won’t hurt you,” he promised. Jeremy found he believed him.

“We should’ve saved you,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry Alaric.”

“I couldn’t be saved Jeremy. You were dealing with Klaus and I just wanted to be with Jenna. I should’ve known that wouldn’t have happened,” he chuckled bitterly.

Jeremy felt pained. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too. But maybe I’ll get to move on someday.”

“You will. If anyone deserves peace, it’s you,” Jeremy sighed.

Alaric walked around the bed to Tyler’s side, his face resigned as he watched him.

“I’m sorry about Klaus.”

Jeremy shook his head, “That wasn’t your fault. She made you.”

“I shouldn’t have given into her. But it doesn’t matter now,” he sighed. He looked into Jeremy’s eyes and Jeremy was relieved that it was their Alaric staring back at him. “Congratulations on your marriage.”

“I wish you were here to give me away,” Jeremy gave a light laugh. Alaric chuckled too.

“I wish that too buddy. I wish I didn’t die on you like this.”

“It’s not your fault,” the orphan whispered past the lump in his throat. “It happens—it’s okay.”

“It’s not,” Alaric laughed. “None of this should’ve happened.”

“Will I still see you?”

Alaric smiled, “I’ll be around. Whenever you want to talk, you’ll see me.”

Jeremy gave him a watery smile and reached out his fingers to him. Alaric met his hand half-way, both of them disappointed when they couldn’t feel the other.

“I’ll be here whenever you need me. I promise,” he said softly as he took a couple steps back. “Whenever you need someone. Don’t forget.”

“Never,” he promised. Alaric smiled again before going through the closed door and disappearing. Jeremy swallowed down his tears and laid back against Tyler. He pulled him closer, checked to see if he was still breathing and smoothed his hair back. Silence reigned for a long time.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

_Jeremy looked around in confusion. It was pitch black, save for the minimal light given by the moon up above. He didn’t even remember how he’d gotten outside in the first place._

_“Jer.”_

_He turned at the sound of his name, lips pulling into a wide smile when he saw Tyler. He ran to him and threw his arms around him in a tight embrace._

_“You’re okay,” he whispered into his dark hair. Tyler chuckled and kissed his neck._

_“I will be,” he pulled back. “Everything’s going to be fine.”_

_“But I don’t understand,” the younger frowned. “You were throwing up blood. Whether you’re supernatural or not, that’s not a good sign.”_

_“You saved me,” Tyler smiled. “I’m okay because of you.”_

_“How?”_

_“Your bond is much stronger than I anticipated.”_

_Jeremy whipped around at the voice behind him. His features hardened immediately when he saw Esther and he stepped protectively in front of Tyler. She merely laughed._

_“I mean you no harm little one,” she smiled. He snorted._

_“You almost killed me.”_

_“I am sorry,” she bowed her head slightly. “It was never my intention to kill anyone other than Niklaus.”_

_“Well he’s dead,” Jeremy stated flatly. “And everyone he’s created will die with him, including their mates.”_

_“Not necessarily.”_

_Jeremy stared at her in disbelief, “What?”_

_“One of the many loopholes of nature,” she laughed lightly. “When an unnatural event occurs another must happen to counteract its consequences. Nature always demands balance.”_

_“What’re you talking about?”_

_“Werewolves are a natural part of this world. Hybrids are not. They create an imbalance. You will see soon little one,”_

_She started to fade into the dark. Jeremy ran after her._

_“Wait! What do you mean?”_

_“You will see,” she repeated before disappearing completely. Jeremy felt his heart pound when he turned around and Tyler was no longer there._

_“Tyler!” he screamed. “Where are you? Tyler!”_

“Tyler!” he gasped as he jerked out of his sleep to a day lit filled room. He quickly turned to his mate beside him…only he was no longer there.

“Oh my God!” Jeremy cried in panic as he sat up. He looked under the bed and took a quick survey of the room before determining that Tyler was really not in the room. He looked next to the bed at the bucket that was nearly full of blood and then to the window where light was shining through the curtains.

“Tyler?” Jeremy screamed as he hastily stood from the rumpled bed. He looked down and saw his wedding ring from the night before, so he knew he wasn’t making any of this up. What the hell was going on?

His heart was pounding so loud in his ears that he nearly missed the sound of the toilet flushing. Seconds later, the door to Damon’s bathroom opened and Tyler walked out, looking alarmed.

“What’s wrong?”

Jeremy’s mouth dropped as he stared at him. His heart had gone from pounding to nearly stopping in shock. Because Tyler didn’t look like he had been sick and on the verge of death for the past few hours, he looked as healthy as could be. He was torn between crying and laughing as he looked at Tyler’s confused face and he couldn’t decide what question to ask first.

“What the hell are you _doing_?” he finally spit out. Tyler cocked his head to the side.

“I didn’t want to wake you…but I really had to piss,” he chuckled. Jeremy blinked.

“You…had to use the bathroom?”

“Yeah.”

Jeremy continued to stare in disbelief.

“You were…” he swallowed heavily. “You look…okay.”

“Yeah. I don’t feel like I’m…dying or anything, which is kind of weird because my body got really stiff and I thought I was dying for sure but then I woke up and it felt like my bladder was going to explode and—”

His babbling was silenced by Jeremy smashing their lips together desperately. He could feel his tears falling onto his face and he held him as close as he could. Jeremy pulled away when he needed air, but had their lips together again before Tyler could speak.

“You’re alive,” Jeremy whispered in between kisses. “This is…I don’t know how but _God_ Tyler…”

“I know…I don’t know how either,” Tyler took his face between his hands. “I don’t know why or how but I’m just happy I’m still here with you.”

Jeremy let out a laugh that turned into a choked sob and pressed their foreheads together.

“I love you so much,” he whispered.

“I love you too,” Tyler murmured before stealing another kiss. “So, so much.”

Jeremy returned it passionately, his fingers clutching Tyler’s hair in a tight grip. The sound of Tyler’s stomach rumbling had them breaking apart.

“Sorry…I’m starving,” Tyler chuckled. Jeremy laughed too before he stopped short.

“You’re hungry for…food?”

“Yeah, I really want a cheeseburger. That sounds so…good,” Tyler trailed off with wide eyes. They stared at each other as realization dawned on them.

“Open your mouth,” Jeremy whispered. He gasped when he did and he no longer saw fangs, only the enlarged canines that came when Tyler activated his werewolf gene.

“Your fangs…they’re gone,” he breathed. “The blood you coughed up…it was vampire blood. Klaus’ blood.”

“How is that possible?” Tyler asked. He didn’t receive an answer as Jeremy had run out the room and downstairs.

“Get up! He’s alive!” he cried to the slumbering vampires. Elena’s eyes shot open and she was out of Stefan’s arms and on her feet in seconds.

“What happened?”

“Tyler’s alive!” Jeremy choked out past his happy tears. “He’s not dead and he’s—he’s not a vampire anymore!”

“What?” Caroline cried. “How?”

“I don’t know just—just come see! Go up there and see for yourself!”

“No need,” Tyler laughed as he stepped off the last stair. Everyone except for Jeremy stared at him dumbfounded.

“How the hell…?” Damon trailed off, not able to create a witty remark. Tyler laughed.

“I have no idea. I guess I’m just really lucky.”

Caroline burst into loud sobs as she flew across the room and squeezed him.

“Don’t you _ever_ scare me like that again!” she wailed.

“Care, you’re crushing me,” he shoved at her waist. She held on for a moment longer before pulling back. She gripped his face in her hands and commanded him to open his mouth.

“Oh my…they really are gone,” she murmured. Elena, Damon and Stefan all gathered around Tyler, each of their expressions morphing into shock.

“How is that possible?” Stefan asked.

“It shouldn’t be. There’s no cure,” Damon frowned. “Unless it’s because he’s a werewolf.”

“But he still had to die to become a vampire, so wouldn’t he have died with Klaus?”

“It’s one of nature’s loopholes,” Jeremy said as he suddenly remembered his dream. “Werewolves were meant to exist but hybrids weren’t. Killing the hybrids would mean killing the werewolves.”

“And it would create an imbalance because not only would the werewolf die, their mate, if they have one, would die as well,” Bonnie concluded with a smile. “When a werewolf has a mate, sometimes they’re so strong that not even death can break them, which is why if one dies, the other follows. If Tyler were to die as a hybrid, he would be on the Other Side whereas you would move on and the balance wouldn’t be equal. If he had died as a hybrid, nature would’ve had to compensate to bring you both together again to keep the balance.”

“That sounds complicated…and so romantic at the same time,” Caroline swooned. The men rolled their eyes.

“I don’t care how or why we’re still together. I’m grateful we still are,” Jeremy pulled Tyler to him. “The only bad thing is you’ll have to transform again. I know that was painful.”

Tyler gave him a quick peck.

“I got through them before. I can get through them again as long as you’re there,” he murmured. “I would rather break all my bones once a month and be here with you than dead on the Other Side without you. I could care less about the pain as long as you’re with me Jer.”

Jeremy tried to pretend that his words didn’t make tears come to his eyes. They shared a tender kiss and the girls cooed over them. Jeremy broke it off with a laugh.

“What?”

“Your mother’s going to be so upset when she finds out we got married without her.”

Tyler laughed out loud, “I think she’ll understand. I’ll make it up to her.”


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone that took the time to read this story! I appreciate all the Kudos and reviews/comments! Here's the last chapter so enjoy!

The Lockwood mansion was alive with blasting music and bright lights as drunken high-school graduates partied away their first night of freedom from high-school. It surprised Jeremy that Mrs. Lockwood would allow Tyler to throw such a party, considering the number of valuables in the house but this celebration was a long time coming. They had waited for a week to see if any of them would face the same fate as Tyler had but none of them had so much coughed. Jeremy was more than relieved that after all the worrying he’d done over losing his friends, he could rest easy knowing that Klaus wasn’t their sire.

Returning to school was a tough transition from running around in the forest. Jeremy felt as if he were in another world when he was forced to sit through pointless history lectures taught by Alaric’s replacement. The only amusement he got from that class was seeing Alaric mocking the professor and knowing that no one else could see it. It made him miss the vampire hunter just a little less. He was grateful when classes ended and he was able to graduate with Tyler and his class. He knew there was no way he would have if Elena, Stefan and Caroline hadn’t compelled the principal and teachers into believing that they’d done all their assignments and aced most of the tests.

Jeremy looked over to the bar where Bonnie and his sister were taking body shots off a shirtless, inebriated Stefan and chuckled. He wondered if this bothered Damon but considering he was standing over them and refilling shot glasses while drinking from the bottle he supposed it wasn’t a big deal. Everyone was entirely too drunk to care about anything other than having a good time tonight.

“Hell yeah!” Tyler yelled, recapturing his attention as he landed another ping pong ball into the red cups before them. “Drink up Donovan!”

“Jesus Tyler! Have you guys had any?” Matt groaned as he removed the plastic ball from the cup before downing the beer.

“Just the pre-game beers before we started,” he snickered as he gave Caroline a high-five and passed the ball to her. “If you guys are this bad now, I’d hate to see how bad you get when you’re drunk.”

“Don’t get cocky,” Jeremy mocked with a smirk. He narrowed his eyes in on the cups at the opposite end of the table. Compared to the three that were left on their side, Tyler did have a reason to gloat. Victory seemed inevitable to them.

“Don’t be a sore loser Jer,” Tyler returned it. His mate’s eyes narrowed further in challenge.

Caroline aimed the ball for the cup that was furthest back in their row before throwing and sinking it. Jeremy rolled his eyes as they cheered.

“Caroline’s obviously drunk. That’s the only time she’s good at this game,” Matt told Jeremy with a laugh. Caroline looked indignant.

“So not true!”

“About being drunk or being this good?”

“I’ve gotten better since you-know-what! My skills are superior to yours!” she smirked. Matt rolled his eyes. Jeremy and Tyler couldn’t help but laugh.

After having their asses handed to them, Jeremy and Matt were forced to move when two guys from the newly graduated senior class challenged the winners. Jeremy grabbed a half-drunk bottle of tequila before dropping on the couch in the sitting room that had been turned into the dance floor. Pounding music made the walls shake and sweaty bodies of teenagers grinded against each other, and Jeremy knew that some people were doing more than dancing thanks to the liquor. He knew with the way his eyesight was starting to blur that he probably shouldn’t have anymore.

“Jerrrrrr,” a heavy body fell into his. He laughed when he saw Elena’s gazed eyes.

“How much have you had?”

“A lot,” she rolled onto her back. “It takes alotta alcohol to get drunk now, ya know?”

“I figured,” he laughed as he took a swig of tequila. “Where’s Bonnie?”

“Somewhere with Damon. He took her away when—when she fell on her butt!” she cackled as if it were the funniest joke she ever heard. It made Jeremy laugh with her.

“I’m sure she and Damon will have a lot of fun tonight.”

“Yep,” she popped the last sound. She lost her balance and nearly fell off the couch but Jeremy steadied her.

“I still can’t believe you’re married,” she inspected his ring. “Like…you got married before me and I’m the older one so that makes _me_ look bad.”

“You literally have an eternity to get married,” Jeremy chuckled. “Don’t stress over it now.”

“Do ya ever regret it?”

He shook his head, “We were practically married before. Now it’s just official.”

“Now you can offishly sleep in the same bed!” she laughed. Jeremy chuckled as she threw her arms around his neck and pressed a sloppy kiss to his cheek.

“I luv you Jer-bear. You’re my lil bro,” she slurred against his ear.

“I love you to Elena,” he murmured as he kissed her arm. She laughed loudly before falling to the floor.

“Ooops,” she giggled. Jeremy laughed and helped her back on the couch.

“There you are!” Stefan cried as he suddenly appeared in front of them in all his shirtless glory. “Been lookin’ everywhere for you!”

Seeing the normally brooding Stefan Salvatore drunk was more humorous than Jeremy could’ve imagined. With a couple bottles of booze he was transformed into a giggling, playful version of himself with bright eyes and wide smiles. He gazed at Elena as if she were a diamond mine.

“I was—was jus tellin Jer-bear that I love him,” the brunette doppelganger gushed. “Cuz he’s—he’s a marrrried man now.”

“We should get married,” he had her in his arms quicker than was humanly possible. She gave a sound between a scream and a laugh as he dipped her down. “I want you to be my blushing bride.”

“Of course!” she squealed. Jeremy laughed at their antics. It quickly died when their lips fused together and they fell back onto the couch in a full blown make-out session next to him.

“Ugh, take it somewhere else,” he grumbled as his nose wrinkled. When they showed no signs of slowing down he grabbed his tequila bottle by the neck and left them to each other. Halfway up the stairs to his room, a pair of arms wrapped around his waist and he stumbled into the wall in surprise. Warm air hit his neck followed by lips and he immediately relaxed when the arms tightened.

“Hey hubby,” he heard in his ear. He could stop the silly grin that crossed his face.

“Hey hubby,” he whispered back as he caught Tyler’s lips. He could hardly believe they were actually married sometimes. “What happened to beer pong?”

“We won, but we let the others play. I just want some time with you to myself.”

He slipped the bottle from Jeremy’s hand and he down what was left of the liquor. His mate watched with slight envy.

“You don’t need anymore,” Tyler laughed as he set the bottle down. He scooped Jeremy into his arms and raced for his bedroom, making sure to lock the door when they were inside. It occurred to Jeremy that people could’ve seen them before Tyler was on him hot and wanting and he could do nothing but match his movements. Soon, they were out of their clothes and grinding against each other. Jeremy threw his head back with a breathless cry when he entered him. He laced their fingers as they moved, slow at first and then gaining speed. When they tumbled over the edge, they lay in each other’s arms and relished their afterglow.

“So, what now Mr. Lockwood?” Jeremy murmured in the peaceful darkness of Tyler’s room, his arms folded under his chin on Tyler’s toned stomach.

“No idea, Mr. Lockwood. What should we do?”

“I guess the first thing we’ll have to do is have an actual wedding ceremony. Your mom ordered flower arrangements today,” Jeremy chuckled.

“Jesus,” he groaned. “I _told_ her no flowers. We’re not freaking chicks!”

“She really wanted them Ty. She was so excited when she showed them to me,” he laughed. “I told her they would look nice.”

“Don’t ever tell her that about anything she shows you. Next she’ll be trying to build our house,” the werewolf grumbled. “It’s bad enough that she’s making us do this.”

“It’s only fair,” he yawned. “Let her have fun with it Ty. She’s only going to get to do it once.”

“Not unless we have kids.”

“But that won’t be for a while.”

“True,” he sighed. “Fine, I’ll go along with it. But if she orders anything extreme like doves I’m putting my foot down.”

“Fair enough,” Jeremy chuckled. He doubted that Mrs. Lockwood would go that far…but then again, Tyler was her only son. Although in these past few months, she had practically adopted Jeremy too. Even though they were already married and it was completely normal for them to share a bed, she had cleaned out the spare bedroom for him. It mostly went unused and she knew it, but Jeremy was grateful for it anyway.

He would forever be grateful to her for letting him into her home. In those months of living with them, Jeremy could see how much she loved Tyler, how much Tyler loved her and it warmed his heart that Tyler was close to at least one of his parents. He couldn’t imagine anything turning out like it had if his father were still around. He was sure the tension in the Lockwood house would be thick if he knew that his son’s enemy turned into his husband.

“She wants to know what we’re doing for our honeymoon.”

Tyler snorted, “She’s not planning that too?”

“Well she can’t if she doesn’t know where we’re going. I mentioned backpacking in Europe but I said we weren’t sure yet.”

The werewolf’s tongue clicked against his teeth. “Knowing her, she’ll book us some fancy five-star hotels to stay in.”

“Like you would mind,” Jeremy chuckled. “I know how you get when your every comfort isn’t met.”

“I’ve been getting better with that,” Tyler nudged his thigh with his foot.

“You have,” he agreed as he kissed the werewolf’s toned stomach. “So backpacking through Europe, then?”

“Yeah. Where should we start?”

“Maybe Italy? We can work our way up and out.”

“And you can do some art classes. That’s my wedding present to you.”

“Which would indicate we’re staying for a while.”

He grinned, “I might have kind-of rented a house for us in the Italian countryside.”

Jeremy sat up and stared at him completely shocked. “What?”

“Mom helped me find it. The owner travels a lot and only uses it every now and then. And he has another house on the beach that he actually lives in. When I told him what I wanted it for he said he would gladly let us rent it and maybe let us buy it later,” he grinned. “It’s your graduation present.”

Jeremy continued gaping. “You’re shitting me.”

“Not at all,” Tyler laughed. Jeremy pulled him to his chest and smashed their lips together.

“You are fucking incredible,” he muttered between kisses. “You are the best husband anyone could ask for.”

“And don’t you ever forget it,” Tyler chuckled.

“Now my present seems really lame,” he pouted.

“Babe, I’ll love anything you get me.”

“You won’t even be able to use it until we come back. Unless you want to take your car-building hobby to Italy with you but you wouldn’t be able to drive it back here.”

It was Tyler’s turn to gape. “What do you mean?”

“I know how much you want a Camaro and that was going to be my present except they’re expensive but then one of your mom’s friends from high-school that she still talks to is really into cars and he was able to give us a discount on the body and some of the parts—”

“You bought me a Camaro kit? Do you have _any_ idea how long I’ve wanted that?” Tyler asked giddily. “Dad was supposed to buy me one and we were supposed to work on it together except he died before he could do it.”

“Yeah, so I was thinking…maybe me and you could do it together,” Jeremy ducked his head bashfully. “But I know that it was important for you to do it with your dad and I wouldn’t want to replace him or anything…”

“Don’t be ridiculous Jer. Of course I want you to work on it with me. But you need to learn about cars first,” Tyler snickered as he pinched his side. He brought his mate into his arms and gave him a deep, loving kiss. “Thank you babe. That really means a lot.”

“I figured it was better than getting you boxers with my name on them or something,” Jeremy flushed as Tyler chuckled against his neck. “I was going to do it for your birthday but I thought this would be better.”

“It is,” he pulled back, “but you didn’t even have to get me anything. I already got my wedding present.”

“Which is?”

“Klaus is dead, I’m alive and we’re mated for life,” he shrugged. “Really can’t ask for more than that.”

Jeremy smiled softly and his heart hammered at the boyish grin on his husband’s face. It struck him, as it often did, how incredibly lucky he was to have Tyler in his life.

He chuckled, “No, I guess you can’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all have enjoyed! Thanks again :D


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